For the first time ever, pride pedestrian lights have come to London.
50 pedestrian traffic signals around Trafalgar Square have been transformed to celebrate Pride of London.
According to Pride in London, the usual green lights for pedestrians will be replaced with figures of same-sex couples walking together holding hands. The traffic signals have been designed to show support for the LGBT+ community.
How cool is this! Just by Trafalgar Square, ready for @LondonLGBTPride #Pride2016 pic.twitter.com/S6GG690lcR
— Tom Knight (@TJ_Knight) June 19, 2016
They were inspired by similar lights which featured in Vienna last year.
Speaking about the new lights, The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“One of the greatest things about this city is our differences and every Londoner should be proud of who they are. I am very proud of our LGBT+ community here and I am looking forward to working closely with them as their Mayor.
“Our thoughts and prayers are of course still with the families and friends of the victims of the hideous recent attack in Orlando. These new signals show that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them and display the tolerance and celebration of difference in our city.”
Alison Camps, Director at Pride in London, said:
“It’s fantastic that London is a city so keen to celebrate Pride that even traffic lights can be used. This small symbol is a big gesture from the Mayor of London and TFL, and we’re delighted to have their support. For many people acceptance and tolerance is a luxury they don’t have, and these lights are another display of how welcoming and accepting London is.
“Our campaign this year is called #NoFilter, letting people live their lives as they want to. These lights are a perfect display of that, saying that our city recognises each and every one of us for who we are.”
London’s Pride Festival takes place from June 10th to 26th.
