Chair of TfL’s LGBT network honoured by Queen for services to diversity

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

The chair of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) LGBT network, OUTbound was included in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Martyn Loukes, a business development manager, was given the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours at the weekend.

He oversaw work such as laying London’s first ever rainbow crossing and creating London’s rainbow bus.

Mr Loukes received the honour for services to the LGBT community and TfL.

After getting a rainbow bus and a rainbow crossing, London last month got a rainbow taxi to add to the mix in partnership with OUTbound.

It’s the in a string of moves designed to celebrate the local LGBT community, following TfL’s temporary rainbow crossing rolled out to celebrate last year’s Pride – and a special rainbow bus that was unveiled in March, which is still in use in the capital.

Also honoured in the list was fellow actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who played out gay codebreaker and computer genius Alan Turing in ‘The Imitation Game.’

Eddie Redmayne, who plays trans woman Lili Elbe in an upcoming film, was also awarded an OBE, former Lib Dem minister Simon Hughes was knighted, and the founder of the Albert Kennedy Trust got an MBE.