UK: Rainbow crossing unveiled in London for Pride

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

London’s own rainbow crossing has been unveiled, ahead of the city’s Pride parade.

The crossing, which is placed at the crossing of Pall Mall east and Suffolk Street, was announced by Pride in London earlier this month.

It was today unveiled by Conservative MP Mike Freer, who campaigned for the idea after seeing a crossing at a pride event in Tel Aviv.

The crossing has special temporary approval from Transport for London, the Highways Department, and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Mike Freer told PinkNews: “I am delighted that London will have its own ‘rainbow crossing’ to celebrate London Pride. London us one of the most diverse cities in the world and in the year that Same Sex Marriage became legal, it is a wonderful symbol of London’s vibrant LGBT community.”

Rainbow crossings have appeared in place of traditional zebra crossings across the world, including in CanadaAustralia and Norway.

A temporary crossing in Brighton was installed in the city earlier this month, though police warned it should not be used as an official crossing, as it is not covered by traffic laws.

The temporary installation has since been scrubbed away, despite calls to make it a permanent fixture.