Petition calls for permanent rainbow landmark to celebrate Brighton & Hove's LGBTQ+ communities
– 2 min read
A public petition has been launched urging Brighton & Hove City Council to install a permanent rainbow installation in the city, which would “demonstrate our city’s leadership, pride, and commitment to visibility”.
The petition, which runs till 22 October, reads: “Brighton & Hove has long been recognised as the UK’s LGBTQ+ capital – a city defined by its inclusivity, diversity, and vibrant community. Yet, despite our reputation and our proud history, we are one of the only major LGBTQ+ cities without a permanent rainbow landmark in our public streetscape.”
It states that Brighton & Hove should join other cities, such as Manchester and London, which have created visible, permanent tributes such as rainbow crossings and public art.
These symbols, the petition reads, “serve as symbols of hope, especially for younger generations, and as a declaration that LGBTQ+ people are celebrated, not erased”.
Brighton & Hove City Council - ePetition - St James Street Rainbows
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Last month, the Pulse Memorial Rainbow Crosswalk in Orlando, Florida - installed in 2017 to honour the 49 lives lost in the 2016 mass shooting - was painted over by state officials – “a tragic erasure of a community’s memorial and a stark reminder that progress is never guaranteed,” the petition reads.
The petition goes on: “Brighton & Hove must stand firm in the face of this trend. Installing a permanent rainbow feature - whether a rainbow road crossing, painted street, rainbow lampposts, or coloured lighting - would demonstrate our city’s leadership, pride, and commitment to visibility. It would also provide a lasting landmark for residents and visitors, cementing Brighton’s place as a city that not only embraces but celebrates its LGBTQ+ community.
“We call on Brighton & Hove City Council to commit to creating a permanent rainbow installation in our streets. This is not simply about paint or lights – it is about heritage, visibility, and the city’s duty to stand against the forces of erasure, and to ensure that the rainbow continues to shine brightly in the city most closely associated with LGBTQ+ life in the UK.”
