Pride flag will be flown at Leamington town hall after decision change

More flags could be flown at Leamington town hall after a dispute between organisers of the Warwickshire Pride festival and Warwick district council was resolved.
The Warwickshire Pride logoThe Warwickshire Pride logo
The Warwickshire Pride logo

The event organisers had asked if the Pride flag could be flown at the historic building in the days up to and including the event.

Initially the council said it would instead allow the flag to be flown at Jephson Gardens stating that the Union Flag was historically the only one displayed on the mast at the town hall and for national events only.

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Daniel Browne, chairman of Push Projects LGBTQ Youth Support, the charity behind Warwickshire Pride, said this had angered the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and had “done nothing to dispel the myth that Leamington is a bit behind the times”.

But this week council leader Cllr Andrew Mobbs said that the Pride flag would be flown at both the town hall and Jephson Gardens for the event.

He added: “I would like to firmly refute any suggestion that the council has discriminated against any section of the community.

“We’ve reconsidered our first decision and I am personally delighted that the Rainbow Flag will now also be flying from the Town Hall.

“However, this request has highlighted a clear need for a formal policy on flag flying and I have asked officers to prepare one as quickly as possible for members to consider.”