australian defence force
LGBTQIA+ defence veterans urged to contact Royal Commission
For ADF veteran Yvonne Sillett, sharing her story of the mistreatment she experienced during her service due to her sexuality was a “cathartic” and “overwhelmingly positive” experience. The Royal Commission Into Defence and Veteran Suicide was set up in July 2021. Last year, the lesbian veteran told the Royal Commission serving in the Australian Defence …
Defence cadets claim pressure to ‘Wear It Purple’
Cadets at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) claim they felt pressured to wear purple on Friday to avoid the appearance of a protest against defence support for Wear It Purple Day. ADFA cadets told the ABC that they received instruction to either wear purple or civvies on the day. No one is to wear …
Shrine of Remembrance to light up in rainbow for LGBTQ+ event
Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance will light up in rainbow colours this weekend for a special service and a new exhibition sharing the history LGBTQ+ service members. New exhibition Defending with Pride: Stories of LGBTQ+ Service opens on August 1 at the Shrine in Melbourne. The immersive exhibition reveals the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender …
‘Shamed’: ADF interrogated gay air force veteran about sexual history
A gay air force veteran has described the devastating toll of the Australian Defence Force shaming him and forcing him out over his sexuality in the early 1990s. Growing up in Daylesford in regional Victoria in the 1980s, Danny Liversidge (above) enthusiastically signed up to join the Royal Australian Air Force. He later passed RAAF …
‘Witch hunt’: Lesbian soldier forced out of army over her sexuality
It was Yvonne Sillett’s lifelong dream to serve in the Australian Defence Force. But at the age of 28, the lesbian soldier was surveilled and interrogated by superiors and ultimately driven out of her job because of her sexuality. The veteran started in the Army at the age of 18, and explained she took to …
Lesbian forced out of army will address Royal Commission
Decorated army veteran Yvonne Sillett will appear at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide on Monday. Yvonne was driven out of the Australian Army over her sexuality three years before the government changed policy and allowed gays and lesbians to serve. Yvonne says on the Discharged LGBTI Veterans’ Association website (DLVA) that she …
Peter Dutton defends Australia from woke morning teas
Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton last week took garrisoning the nation to new heights as he launched into battle against woke morning teas. As Australia plots its way into an uncertain future, Dutton took steps to ensure our federation will not falter before legions of colourfully dressed coffee drinkers. Certainly, the defence of our Commonwealth …
Pride in Defence: Noah Riseman & Shirleene Robinson
In their new book, Pride in Defence: The Australian Military and LGBTI Service since 1945, Noah Riseman and Shirleene Robinson share the post-World War II experiences of LGBTI members of the Australian Defence Force. The authors previously documented the integral role played by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender men and women in Australia’s military. This …
OPINION: Why Australia Owes An Apology To Discharged LGBTIQ Military Personnel
By Noah Riseman, Australian Catholic University The Australian Defence Force (ADF) banned lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel from serving openly until November 1992, and there were restrictions on transgender service until September 2010. Even so, we know LGBT people have always been serving bravely in the ADF. In an ongoing research project with Macquarie University …
Call For A National Apology For LGBTIQ Former Military Personnel
Australian defence personnel who were dishonourably discharged from the military on the basis of their sexuality deserve a national apology and compensation, a military historian has told the federal government. Australian Catholic University associate professor Noah Riseman has sent a policy brief document to federal defence minister Christopher Pyne explaining many lesbian, gay, bisexual and …
