The UK has unveiled its first ever permanent rainbow crossing

It's in London and it's BRIGHT.

Rainbow crossing

London has a new rainbow crossing. Source: LightRocket

The UK has unveiled its first ever permanent rainbow crossing.

Located outside Brockwell Park in Herne Hill, the colourful walkway was declared open by local community leaders over the weekend and was green-lit by Lambeth council as a way of showing "solidarity with the LGBTIQ+ community".

Attending the crossing's launch, Councillor Sonia Winifred, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture, : "We have a tradition of championing equality and LGBTIQ+ rights - this crossing celebrates that and is an example of our bold and progressive thinking."

She added: "We’ve come a long way and Lambeth is proud to be leading the way."
Local residents are being encouraged to share their photos of the town's bright new addition on social media with the hashtags #WeAreLambeth and #HerneHillRainbow.

While the crossing is the first permanent one of its kind in the UK, it follows the success of similar rainbow crossings around the world, including one in Vancouver, Paris - and, of course, Australia's .

London's LGBTIQ+ Forums' Network celebrated the unveiling on social media, sharing snaps from the opening event and writing: "Proud to have been at the launch of the countries first permanent rainbow crossing in Herne Hill today opposite Brockwell Park."

They added: "‘Railton Road’ is the site of the UK’s first gay centre founded in 1974 by the South London Gay Liberation front."

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Published 21 August 2019 12:43pm
By Samuel Leighton-Dore


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