When five proud members of the Gay Ex-Services Association climbed the steps of Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance on Anzac Day in 1982, hoping to lay a wreath in honour of ‘all our brothers and sisters who died during the wars,’ they were cruelly turned away at the behest of then Victorian RSL President Bruce Ruxton. It’s a dark stain on the war memorial’s history that curator Kate Spinks hopes will be further dispelled by the opening of a new exhibition this week.
Defending with Pride: Stories of LGBTQ+ Service marks the first time an Australian war memorial has centred the stories of queer members of the armed forces.
