Live in diverse harmony or divided fear?
I find it necessary to again make comment on the Council decision to not fly the Rainbow Flag for the remainder of the federal survey period, on Marriage Equality, at the Ballarat Town Hall. Mind you it did fly for two weeks!
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My partner and I are residents and ratepayers of Ballarat, and for us being gay should be of no consequence in this enlightened age. Of course, we genuinely hope that marriage equality will become a reality.
We wish to belong to the community; not be segregated as we experienced when we were younger. I suggest that todays crop of LGBTQI supporters who were at the Council meeting consider how fortunate they are, given what many older gays and lesbians did to achieve acceptance and equality, and how they have assimilated into everyday life. Importantly, they are making valuable contributions to our Australian way of life in many ways.
If, as The Courier reports, the debate was acrimonious, that in itself is disgraceful in this 21st century and does harm to the actual marriage equality debate. Hence this ongoing debate has the potential to divide rather than unite. Once again our Council has been distracted from the real issues it should be addressing. I want our council to address issues that to my mind it is neglecting and have more of a focus on jobs and prosperity for our city
Council must not continue to let itself be distracted. Its role is to act in the very best interests of all the community. And to the Ballarat community, we are one but we are many, and as such I too want to celebrate diversity as it should be.
Ron Egeberg, Soldiers Hill
Can you believe it? Cr Belinda Coates wanted to re-raise the rainbow flag, illuminate the town hall and other government buildings with rainbow colours and also decorate the council website accordingly. These extreme proposals were thankfully, rejected by council. The constant and excessive hounding by 'yes' activists is tiresome and indicates there's more to it than just demanding a 'right' to marriage. Taking gender out of marriage takes gender out of all laws and would cause far-reaching injustice.
A Brooks, Ballarat
Ballarat councillors including the mayor voted to support marriage equality in July. Support means to, "Be actively interested in and concerned for the success of" .Yet this week, the mayor used her deciding vote against flying the rainbow flag. Taking down the rainbow flag during this debate is the polar opposite of support. It sends a message to the community that Ballarat Council does not support our LGBTQI community.
Many local institutions are flying the flag for marriage equality including Federation University, Ballarat Health Services and CAFS. With this brutal debate raging, signs of support like flying the rainbow flag can make all the difference to our LGBTQI friends and families.
The council's decision not to fly the flag shows a lack of conviction and the mayor appears to want to have a foot in every camp.
Michaela Settle, Ballarat
A WORTHY ACT OF KINDNESS
Recently I was stranded in central Ballarat due to locking my keys in the car, with no mobile phone and unable to contact my family because of an inability to walk too far as I suffer from emphysema and peripheral neuropathy.
As I staggered past the offices of Catherine King I thought they may help me so I walked in and explained my predicament. Not only did they allow me the use of a telephone in a private office, but also provided me with a drink of cold water, which I very much needed. Thank you very much to the staff member there who assisted me and as a result of which I managed to get home and sort out my problems.
Allan Webster, Soldiers Hill