Rainbow road crossings to be painted across the West Country as Pride festivals return
A rainbow will be painted over a road crossing in Bristol to celebrate the return of the city's much-loved Pride festival this summer.
Wine Street, which connects Broadmead with Castle Park, will be adorned with the Progress Pride progress flag ahead of the festival in July.
Several other cities in the West Country have made similar announcements to coincide with Pride Month in June and the comeback of the region's popular events.
In Bristol, Pride Day will be held in Castle Park on Saturday 10 July. The festival will span two weeks from Saturday 3 July to Friday 16 July.
Along with other festivals and events, the annual celebration had to be cancelled in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions.
"Visibility for the LGBT+ community is still an issue and after a year apart, where some people may have felt isolated and disconnected, this crossing will be a positive, unmissable beacon for Bristol as Pride returns to the city," said Bristol Pride's Daryn Carter MBE.
"Not only will this resonate with the local community, but also send a positive message to visitors as we all keep striving towards creating a better society."
The Progress Pride flag
The recently re-designed Pride flag incorporates the LGBTQ+ colours on the rainbow flag along with stripes inclusive of the transgender community and LGBT+ people of colour.
It also acknowledges people living with AIDS to help eliminate stigma.
The chevron symbolises a forward movement and reminds society that progress still needs to be made.
Elsewhere in the West Country a road crossing in Gloucester has already been covered with the flag.
It appeared in Commercial Road earlier this month and Pride in Gloucestershire has welcomed the colourful addition.
"Gloucestershire is a rural County and as a Pride organisation we are delighted to see visual representation of the diversity that can be found here," said Jordan Bonner.
"We know that there are members of the LGBTQ+ community in Gloucestershire who feel isolated from the wider community and that can be very lonely.
"This is something we are very mindful of when planning events around the County. From 2022 we will be able to resume our annual Pride on Tour events. Previously Pride on Tour has allowed us to visit the more rural parts of our County and connect with members of the community there - because of these conversations we know that both representation and visibility are really important.
"It’s wonderful to see the City of Gloucester and the County visually represent and celebrate its diversity and the LGBTQ+ community with a rainbow crossing. We hope the trial is successful and that the crossing can remain a permanent fixture going forward."
Gloucestershire's Pride event will hopefully take place on Saturday 11 September at Gloucester Park - providing all coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
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