Message from the Lord Mayor of Sydney
Delivered by DEFGLIS President Vince Chong
On behalf of the City of Sydney, I am delighted to welcome you to Australia’s first ever military pride ball.
Sydney’s LGBTI community contributes a great deal to our individuality and vibrancy as a city. I have long advocated for greater acceptance and support of those who identify as LGBTI, and it’s fantastic that an event like this is taking place.
I commend Defence LGBTI Information Service for the vital work that you do in supporting personnel and their families and encouraging diversity within the Australian Defence organisation.
Our armed forces are stronger for the involvement of committed LGBTI personnel, and it’s wonderful that this is finally being recognised. The Australian Defence Force’s commitment to the LGBTI community was recently demonstrated by your placing in the Top 20 Workplace Employers in the Australian Workplace Equality Index. This is truly something to be proud of.
The military pride ball sounds like a great way of bringing people together to celebrate the achievements that the Australian Defence organisation and community have already made towards diversity and inclusion. It’s also a celebration of the incredible contribution made by LGBTI personnel to the armed forces.
I hope everyone has a wonderful time this evening, and hope this is the first of many military pride balls in our city.