The Census, Albany Book Ban & The History of The Rainbow Flag

Let's be perfectly Queer Podcast

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This episode has a warning: there are some mentions of suicide and hate towards the LGBTQIA+ community. Skip forward to 28:10 when you hear the episode warning.
In today's episode, we dive into some news and explore the history of the rainbow flag. But before we get into that, we catch up with each other and discuss recent events like the annual Vic Park Pride fundraising event Perth Barn dance.

Moving on to the news segment, we discuss the Australian government's decision to exclude LGBTQIA questions from the 2026 census, which has faced backlash and criticism from advocates.

After the news segment, we finally delve into the history and significance of the rainbow flag, which was designed by US gay activist Gilbert Baker in 1978. Inspired by the power of symbols like the US flag, Baker wanted a new symbol that represented the LGBTQIA+ community. We discuss the colors and meanings behind each stripe on the original flag and how it gained prominence as the symbol for LGBTQIA+ pride. We also mention other flags such as the Bisexual pride flag and Transgender pride flag.

If you want to dive into the rich history and significance of the rainbow flag, and learn all about the sister flags that represent our diverse community, then hop on board this episode.

Until next time, lovelies, stay perfectly queer
If you have found anything we have spoken about in this episode difficult or triggering, you can reach out to the following services:
Phone:

• Lifeline is available 24/7 – 13 11 14
• Beyondblue is available 24/7 - 1300 224 636
• Crisis Care Helpline is available 24/7 – 1800 199 008
• Kids Helpline is available 24/7 – 1800 55 1800
• RUAH Community Services is available 24/7 - 13 78 24

Online:

• Head to health online chat - headtohealth.gov.au
• RUAH Community Services - ruah.org.au or [e-mail]