Ian Purcell

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Ian Purcell AM (21 December 1947 – 6 November 2016)[1] was an Australian gay activist and Member of the Order of Australia, known as the "godfather of the gay community" in South Australia.

Personal life

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Ian Purcell with Barb Baird

Purcell was born on 21 December 1947 in Unley, South Australia.[1][2] He worked as an English teacher until 1986 during the AIDS epidemic he decided to join the AIDS council and begin advocacy for the LGBTIQA+ community.[2] Purcell met his husband Stephen Leahy while working as the manager of the Darling House Community Library.[2] The pair married in 2006 in Montreal, Canada[3] before same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia.[4]

Purcell died on 6 November 2016, aged 68.[1]

Activism

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Ian Purcell became known as activist and LGBTIQA+ leader in South Australia, and was described as the "godfather of the gay community".[2][5]

He was a founding member of the Lesbian and Gay Community Action lobby group, the South Australian Rainbow Advocacy Alliance, the Adelaide Pride March and the Uranian Society, a cultural group for gay men.[2][5] He involved in the Let's Get Equal campaign for marriage equality and was chairperson of the AIDS Council of South Australia.[6] He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2005 for "service to the community, particularly gay and lesbian people through advocacy, education, law reform and support for community events".[7]

Purcell was the posthumous inaugural inductee to the SA Pride Hall of Fame in 2024.[8][9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Purcell, Mr Ian". Hansard Daily. Parliament of South Australia. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The 'godfather' of the gay community enters the Pride Hall of Fame - CityMag | InDaily, Inside South Australia". www.indailysa.com.au. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  3. ^ "LGBTQI people married abroad talk about becoming automatically married in Aus". SBS Voices. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Marriage equality". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Ian Purcell, Gay activist". The Centre of Democracy. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  6. ^ "AIDS Council closes in South Australia". ABC News. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Australia Day 2005 Honours". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. No. S1. Australia. 26 January 2005. p. 1. Retrieved 16 November 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ Laverty, Jo (9 May 2024). "SA's first Pride Hall of Fame inductee". ABC listen. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Ian Purcell AM". Pride Adelaide. Retrieved 11 November 2025.