Decision details

Moved by Councillor Worling , seconded by Councillor Miller –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)           Oxford Street is long recognised as the heart and home of the LGBTIQA+ community in Sydney. It is a global beacon for pride, diversity and solidarity, synonymous with LGBTIQA+ life;

(ii)         one of the transformative projects of Sustainable Sydney 2030-2050: Continuing the Vision is to revitalise the Oxford Street precinct;

(iii)        as retail, nightlife and inner-city living evolves, new investment and planning changes bring opportunity to revive and strengthen the identity of Oxford Street;

(iv)        the Oxford Street LGBTIQA+ Social and Cultural Place Strategy, adopted by Council in October 2022, is the overarching strategy that currently guides the City’s work in the Oxford Street precinct to support the LGBTIQA+ community;

(v)         key priorities of the Place Strategy include increasing LGBTIQA+ visibility and identity throughout the precinct; recognising historic LGBTIQA+ places and spaces; and increasing LGBTIQA+ cultural and social spaces;

(vi)        flags have always been an integral part of the LGBTIQA+ movement. They are a visible representation meant to educate, celebrate progress, advocate for representation, and amplify the demand and drive for collective action;

(vii)      there have been many LGBTIQ+ flags over the years. San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker designed the first Pride Rainbow flag for the 1978 San Francisco Freedom Day Parade. It is widely recognised as the symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities; and

(viii)     beyond the rainbow flag that represents the whole community, there are also individual identity, gender and sexuality flags that represent the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. These include: the Progress Pride Flag, the Unity Pride Flag, Trans Flag, Bisexual Flag, Asexual Flag, Intersex Flag, Gay Flag, Lesbian Flag, Non-Binary Flag, Genderqueer Flag, Pansexual Flag and Genderfluid Flag, among others;

(B)        Council further note;

(i)           the City of Sydney is home to Australia’s highest population of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQA+) people, with 21.4% of residents in our Local Government Area identifying as part of this community;

(ii)         the central flagpole at Taylor Square (on the southern side) flies the Progressive Pride Flag every day;

(iii)        there are currently 18 smart banner poles at Taylor Square north flying Progressive Pride banners, with an additional 18 smart banner poles available at Taylor Square south;

(iv)        for this precinct to continue to thrive as a global LGBTIQA+ destination, it must be signposted, and the full spectrum and evolution of queer culture, must be on display year-round;

(v)         the City understands that visibility and inclusion are vital to a vibrant and safe City, and is committed to elevating and celebrating the broad spectrum of LGBTIQA+ experiences, residents and visitors;

(vi)        a new progress pride crossing is currently underway at the intersection of Bourke and Forbes Street, outside Qtopia Sydney (Darlinghurst Police Station); and

(vii)      the City has advocated for the fences outside the Darlinghurst Courthouse to be removed, to return the grassed area to the community and reuse of the court building for more cultural space. This area, once reclaimed, could provide an opportunity for a more permanent iteration of this concept; and

(C)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)           investigate a permanent location for Pride Flags of Importance (in the short term at Taylor Square, and in the longer-term, outside the Darlinghurst Courthouse), where each flagpole is clearly marked with a dedicated QR code or plaque for education purposes;

(ii)         meanwhile, explore the feasibility of dedicating the remaining 18 smart banner poles at Taylor Square south to additional Progressive Pride banners;

(iii)        investigate the capabilities of the City’s current smart banner poles to support different formats, such as horizontal Progressive Pride flags rather than vertical banners;

(iv)        consult with City staff, key stakeholders, other levels of government, key LGBTIQA+ organisations and the wider community to see what flags they would like to see flown permanently at Taylor Square or the Darlinghurst Courthouse; and

(v)         report back to Council with the findings, a timeline and cost estimate for this schedule of work.

Carried unanimously.

X113756