It is a great pleasure to be here today, taking part in the launch of this remarkable and important exhibition, and I would like to thank the Shrine of Remembrance for inviting me.
Australia has been for many decades, and is today, home to hundreds of thousands of military veterans. From the earliest days of federation, they have held an honoured place in our society.
But some have had to remain in the shadows, few more so than LGBTIQ+ service personnel. LGBTIQ+ service has always been part of Australia's wartime story, though only recently have we begun to acknowledge, and now celebrate it.
LGBTIQ+ people have been enlisting in the armed forces since before Anzac became a household word. In the military their sexuality or gender identity had to be concealed, as it had been in civilian life.
Something so central to one's being had to be a secret. LGBTIQ+ service personnel had to take risks not shared by their comrades, to be guarded in their words and in their actions, and when they failed, if they were found out, they faced persecution and discharge from service.
Only in recent decades have circumstances changed.
This is the first exhibition of its type in a major Australian commemorative institution, and it reflects wider advances in the armed forces and in society more generally.
The ban on homosexuality in the Australian Defence Force was lifted three decades ago, and transgender people have had the right to serve since 2010. We have come a long way since the days of the world wars, when simply being LGBTIQ+ was a crime.
In honouring LGBTIQ+ service personnel, those currently in uniform and veterans, we acknowledge the contribution that these Australians have made through times of war and conflict, on peacekeeping operations and humanitarian missions.
The diversity of our defence force, the fact that it increasingly reflects the society from which it is drawn and which its members are pledged to defend, is one of its great strengths.
The government runs many grant programs to support important community activities across the country. I'm pleased to know that the development of this exhibition was supported through funding under the Department of Veterans' Affairs Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program.
In closing, I would like to thank the organisers of this event, the curators and specialists who have brought this wonderful and timely exhibition to life, the advisory group whose expertise and first-hand knowledge shaped its message.
