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2016 02 19 G Force Mardi Gras

G-Force president David Mitchell will lead the DEFGLIS civilian contingent at the 2016 Mardi Gras parade to mark the 20 year anniversary of Defence participation in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

The 1996 G-Force float was the first time that an organisation of serving gay, lesbian and bisexual Defence members participated in the Mardi Gras with approval from Defence.

Planning and approval for this float was not so straightforward, and the history of this event reveals a determined G-Force leadership facing down opposition within the Defence hierarchy.

2016 04 25 CanberraAnzac

Rainbow wreaths adorned shrines and cenotaphs around Australia to commemorate the sacrifice of LGBTI soldiers, sailors and airmen alongside their brothers and sisters in arms.

As the association for LGBTI personnel, former personnel and their families, we undertake this commemoration thanks to all of our wonderful donations.

Rainbow wreaths were placed in Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and in Canberra.

DEFGLIS member Nathan White from Townsville said that he was proud to be an openly gay officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and spoke about the significance of participation in ANZAC Day.

2016 02 23 StuPearce

Squadron Leader Stuart Pearce (Royal New Zealand Air Force) reflects on decades of his service and his family experience in the UK and New Zealand Air Forces.

In 2004, my partner Dave who was serving with the Royal Air Force deployed to Afghanistan. As a serviceman myself I was more aware than most perhaps of the dangers he would face and the possibility he might return home broken, emotionally, mentally if not physically. Like every service spouse I waited back home, hanging on every email, every snippet of information, counting the days.

Unlike most service spouses, however, the Royal Air Force did not know I existed. Neither Dave nor I were out to anybody but our closest friends and family.

2016 03 05 Mardi Gras DEFGLIS GForce Lead2
Two decades of the defence community united to march at the 2016 Sydney Mardi Gras parade, where respect and inclusion were simply business as usual.
 
140 Defence soldiers, sailors, airmen, public service, family and ex-service personnel marched to support sexual orientation and gender identity inclusion in Defence - which this year is business a usual given that every person has a sexual orientation and a gender identity.
 
The theme of the event was "Momentum: stronger together," and brought together 178 floats and 12,500 participants from across the community - each carrying their own unique message.
 

2016 02 07 RisemanWeb

DEFGLIS research partner Associate Professor Noah Riseman takes an academic look at the debates surrounding the homosexual ban in Defence in his journal article published in the Australian Journal of Politics and History.

On 24 November 1992, Australia overturned its longstanding ban on gay and lesbian service in the Australian Defence Force. The ban was on the political agenda throughout 1992, though it was never a government priority or subject to mass protest.

The debates over gay and lesbian military service have subsequently received scant attention from historians. The arguments against gay and lesbian service centred on troop morale, security concerns, fears of predatory homosexuals and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

  1. DEFGLIS founder receives Order of Australia honours
  2. Defence inclusion advocate named Australian of the Year
  3. Warrior Doc becomes two-star Surgeon-General
  4. Australian LGBTI military history full-time research PhD scholarship now on offer