Mr Croome said he would like to see other councils raising the rainbow flag to show their support for equality and inclusion for LGBTIQ+ people. In September 2018, Cr Diprose brought forward a motion to the Central Coast Council to help make the region more inclusive, by recognising past homophobia and undertaking to express support through events and initiatives. Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site.Times have changed for Rodney Croome, who was arrested during a pro-gay rights rally. I am, however, a fan of change when it stands to make a difference.”Ĭomments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer. As Fletcher says, “I’m not a fan of change for the sake of change. Holding people accountable for their actions and words, whether as an ally or in the community, is vital. The inclusion of black and brown stripes on the Pride flag would acknowledge that we have recognised the problem, and are determined to change it.
Racism isn’t just an issue in the LGBT+ community, but we can be at the forefront of challenging it. It’s either this or quietly absorbing the racism that wears us down, slowly hurting our physical and mental states.
People will criticise this – calling us divisive – and maybe we are, but it’s for our own safety. Racism is still all too common at Pride events, which is why initiatives such as UK Black Pride have been created to give communities a space to celebrate. The use of these colours on the rainbow was a response by the charity to concerning levels of racism and exclusion experienced by black and minority ethnicity (BAME) LGBT+ people in LGBT+ spaces and communities in Greater Manchester.” This includes an image of a rainbow, representing the colours of the Pride flag, with two colours added to it, black and brown. “Late last year Manchester Pride introduced a new visual identity that encompasses many of the current recognised flags and symbols used by LGBT+ people. The CEO of Manchester Pride, Mark Fletcher, made the decision to adopt the stripes on their official Pride flag for 2019. You’ve almost certainly heard about the two women assaulted on a London bus, but as Chris, one of the women involved, pointed out, have you heard about the black trans women murdered in the US with terrifying frequency? White suffering leads the news – the same is often not true when people of colour suffer. We don’t think anyone will take us seriously. But I can say from personal experience that many more incidents will have gone unreported. Last year Stonewall revealed that 51% of LGBT BAME people reported having experienced racism in the LGBT+ community. Until black and brown people feel comfortable in LGBT+ spaces, the flag isn’t inclusive without those stripes. It’s true, the flag wasn’t first designed to represent the colour of people’s skin, but it’s about inclusion and acceptance. It’s telling that those who oppose it – and let’s not evade the reality here, they’re mostly white cis gay men – have something to say now that black and brown people have representation. There have been many iterations since and I’ve noticed very little concern, until the black and brown stripes were added. Its first inception had a pink stripe to symbolise sex, which has now been removed. The rainbow Pride flag was created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, with originally eight colours. Last year Stonewall revealed that 51% of LGBT BAME people reported having experienced racism in the LGBT+ community