Pedestrian crossings are given a rainbow makeover to mark Pride month
Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville, Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs and their teams met up to mark the rainbow crossing painted in Hackney Road for Pride month. Picture: Gary Manhine/ Hackney Council - Credit: Gary Manhine
Pedestrian crossings have been given a colourful makeover to mark Pride month and celebrate the LGBTQI+ community.
Cllr Carole Williams, Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville and Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs, and Tower Hamlets Cllr Kevin Brady met up to mark a rainbow crossing being painted in Hackney Road for Pride month. Picture: Gary Manhine/ Hackney Council - Credit: Gary Manhine
"Rainbow crossings" have been popping up across London with one in Hackney Road on the border of Tower Hamlets with Hackney and another in East Road, Shoreditch.
The crossings are part of Hackney Council's Hackney Pride 365 initiative, which aims to celebrate and support the borough's LGBTQI+ community all year round.
They will be in place for the next few months, coinciding with the Pride in London festival on July 6 and UK Black Pride's celebration in Haggerston Park the next day.
Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs and mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville joined their teams to launch them.
Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville, Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs and their teams met up to mark the rainbow crossing painted in Hackney Road for Pride month. Picture: Gary Manhine/ Hackney Council - Credit: Gary Manhine
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John said: "It was great to join Mayor Glanville, alongside members of staff, the community and councillors from both our great boroughs to celebrate the installation of the special Pride crossing.
"The crossing spans the borders of Tower Hamlets and Hackney and will provide a colourful and powerful reminder of the importance of Pride, and of demonstrating our ongoing friendship and solidarity with our LGBT+ friends and neighbours."
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Philip added: "These crossings provide a powerful visual reminder of our commitment to equality, with one linking two boroughs that clearly stand-up for diversity and tolerance. They are placed at the centre of the historically radical LGBTQI+ community of East London, which has contributed so much to the freedoms we have and enjoy today, but are also still here, taking part in the ongoing fight against prejudice that still exists."
The council has teamed up with LGBT+ support group, East London Out Project (ELOP), to provide a programme of free events in the coming weeks including Pride Picnic in the Park on Sunday from 2pm - 6pm at Victoria Park bandstand.
This is followed by Pride Comedy on July 3 from 7pm at Poplar Union with performances from Charlie George, Krishna Istha, Elf Lyons, Dom Patmore, Annabel Pribelski and Amelia Stubberfield.
This free event is suitable for adult audiences and includes a fundraising raffle.
Last of all is a screening of the Oscar winning film A Fantastic Woman on July 20 at Poplar Union at 8pm.
All events are free and open to all, subject to any specific age restrictions.
