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
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
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][8]
Purcell was the posthumous inaugural inductee to the SA Pride Hall of Fame in 2024.[9][10]
References
- ^ a b c "Purcell, Mr Ian". Hansard Daily. Parliament of South Australia. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "LGBTQI people married abroad talk about becoming automatically married in Aus". SBS Voices. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "Marriage equality". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Ian Purcell, Gay activist". The Centre of Democracy. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "AIDS Council closes in South Australia". ABC News. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ SLSA. "Gay Rights Page 3". www.samemory.sa.gov.au. Archived from the original on 24 April 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Laverty, Jo (9 May 2024). "SA's first Pride Hall of Fame inductee". ABC listen. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "Ian Purcell AM". Pride Adelaide. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
