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Boris Johnson giggles about ‘sex toy’ ISIS flag at Pride during live radio interview

Jul 09 2015
Written by Nick Duffy

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson was reduced to laughter during a live radio interview while discussing a sex toy flag at Pride in London, which was mistaken for the flag of ISIS.

American news network CNN ran a seven-minute report on the supposed ISIS flag that was spotted at the Pride in London parade – which was actually just covered in sex toys.

Artist Paul Coombs later stepped forward as the flagbearer, telling PinkNews it was the in fact ‘the flag of ‘Dildosis’ he was waving, and that that police had questioned him about it.

Speaking on LBC, Mayor of London Boris Johnson – who missed Pride in London for a fifth year in a row – said he doesn’t support banning the flag.

He said: “It’s not for me to make operational decisions on behalf of the police but I’ve made my views plain. I don’t want people waving the ISIS flag.”

Asked about an actual ban, he said: “We live in a free country and I think you’d have to have primary legislation to designate certain bits of iconography as being illegal. You’d be the first to oppose that.”

Referencing the Dildosis story, he said: “You’ll recall that the police did confiscate a flag in the belief it was an ISIS flag.”

Trying to suppress his laughter, he said: “It did turn out to be various sex aids. You have to be careful about how you approach this subject!”