Brussels marks Pride with rainbow crossings

The city of Brussels is showing its support for Pride by painting some of its crossings in rainbow colours.

A neighbourhood in the Belgian capital painted six of its crossings in rainbow colours.

The event takes place on 20 May, and those living in Saint-Jacques have been treated to the upgraded crossings.

The first Pride took place in 1996 in Brussels, where 2,000 people attended.

Since, hundreds of thousands attend the annual event.

Earlier this year the creator of the Pride flag, Gilbert Baker, died aged 65.

Of the rainbow flag, which is flown at Pride events and protests around the world, Baker said each colour represents something different.

“Pink is for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun,” He told ABC7.

“Green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for serenity and purple for the spirit. I like to think of those elements as in every person, everyone shares that.”

Canada Post has created a new stamp to celebrate the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

The Eurovision Song Contest referenced Kyiv’s unfinished rainbow arch during this week’s semi-final.

Ahead of this week’s Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine, Kyiv’s Friendship of Nations Arch, which was originally dedicated to the unification of Ukraine and Russia within the Soviet Union, was repainted in rainbow colours to ‘celebrate diversity’.

However, the top of the monument was left partially-painted after protests from anti-LGBT groups who claimed it was “perverted symbolism”.

Following the protests the remainder of the painting was called off, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that as part of a “compromise” that the unpainted part of the arch would remain rainbow-free, and eventually be covered “with a Ukrainian decorative pattern”.

• Nov 29 2023

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