Group proud to show true colours

The DIY rainbow revolution has landed in Busselton, with local supporters of the gay rights movement taking to the Busselton foreshore with colourful chalk.

The social media-driven protest was triggered by a decision by the NSW Government last week to remove a rainbow pedestrian crossing on Oxford Street in Sydney, painted in the lead-up to the Mardi Gras festival.

The movement has seen supporters drawing chalk rainbows on roads and footpaths across Australia and the world and uploading the photos with the hashtag #DIYrainbow.

Busselton resident Hannah Ilias, together with members of the Busselton GLBT Facebook group, took half-an-hour to draw the chalk rainbow along the foreshore on Tuesday evening.

“It’s all about bringing attention to gay rights and marriage equality,” she told the Times.

“It was initially sparked by the removal of the crossing, which was symbolic when they ripped it up.”

Miss Ilias said living in a smaller town often made it harder to discuss the subject and she wanted to bring the topic to the forefront.

“Like any subject, the more it’s spoken about the less taboo it becomes,” she said.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed about. And I know there must be lots of gay teenagers who might find it hard here. I want to lead by example.”