An Indigo councillor has vowed to make a stand in support of the LGBTIQ community in the lead up to the same-sex marriage postal survey.
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Cr Diane Shepheard told last week’s council meeting she had been approached about what the group could do as municipality leaders.
“I know it’s a federal issue, and it was too late to bring it into this council meeting, but I’d just like to say I send my support out to those people who are listening tonight and wondering if we’re going to be doing something – we’ll be looking at our next council meeting what we can do,” she said. “I myself will be voting for marriage equality.
“I don’t want this to become an ugly debate and I don’t want people to have poor comments around this.
“It is something as leaders we do have to talk about at some stage.”
The council was yet to discuss the issue this week.
It appears set to the divide Indigo residents, with some people in the council’s meeting’s public gallery reacting negatively to Cr Shepheard’s statement – to the point Mayor Jenny O’Connor had to ask them to quieten down.
Meanwhile, Gateway Health, a service based in Wodonga and Wangaratta, has joined with 22 other Victorian community health organisations in signing a joint statement backing the LGBTIQ community.
It stated their support for marriage equality and concerns about the survey’s impact on mental health.
“We consider that holding a popular vote on matters of equity is disrespectful and potentially divisive,” the letter stated.
“We will be alert and ready to address the potentially negative health impacts of stigmatisation, vilification and discrimination, particularly on young people.”