The bisexual pride flag was today raised over a London council building for the first time.
Nadia Shah, who was appointed Mayor of Camden in May 2016, hoisted the flag in a small ceremony on the roof of Camden Town Hall at 1oam today. The ceremony was attended by members of the Bisexual Index and Camden LGBT Forum as well as local activists and civic staff.
Mayor Nadia Shah addresses the crowd
The flag has been flown at Council buildings in Brighton and Hove since 2012, but other councils have been reluctant to follow suit. This year, just five further councils (including Camden) – out of more than 410 – have chosen to follow suit.
The Bisexual Index told Biscuit, “a lot of councils have told us that they fly the rainbow flag for gay pride, and that we’re included in that. But bisexuals are not gay, and while the situation is improving, we still face significant discrimination from the gay community.
“It’s not for anyone other than the bi community to say if they are represented by the rainbow flag and what it represents, and that community, overwhelmingly, has said ‘no’.
“The symbolic value of flying the bisexual pride flag on Bisexual Visibility Day should not be underestimated. Not only does it offer validation to the bisexual residents of the borough, but with bi confidence in public services so low, it signals the borough’s commitment to recognising the unique needs of our community”.
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