Ian Purcell

Ian Purcell (21 December 1947 – 6 November 2016) 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. 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. before same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia.

Purcell died on 6 November 2016, aged 68.

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. 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".

Purcell was the posthumous inaugural inductee to the SA Pride Hall of Fame in 2024.