A long road to acceptance
Standard bearers of the Royal Australian Air Force and Army contingents of the inaugural uniformed Australian Defence Force (ADF) march in the Sydney Mardi Gras parade, across the "Rainbow Crossing", 2013.
The Australian Defence Force and its forebears have been seen by many as an equal opportunity employer for over a century, however for LGBTIQ+ service personnel, their fight for equality and recognition was one step too far for those in the corridors of power.
Serving members who were ‘outed’ faced interrogation, persecution, humiliation and an ignominious end to their careers. Cast back into the civilian world, LGBTIQ+ veterans hid what had happened to them.
Noah Riseman’s article provides an outstanding overview of this ultimately successful battle by the LGBTIQ+ community for acceptance by the ADF.
To read Noah’s article, purchase your copy of Wartime 104.
Further recommended reading: Noah Riseman & Shirlene Robinson, Pride in Defence: The Australian Military & LGBTI service since 1945, Melbourne University Press, 2020