Whitstable shows its real colours

Local businesses have today answered the call of local councillor Chris Cornell to display the rainbow flag as part of National Pride Month. Several local residents have recently contacted local councillors about a disturbing rise in transphobic graffiti across the town and after ensuring it is removed this new initiative was designed to remind people of how inclusive our town is.

Councillor Val Kenny described how the new flags being displayed at Kent Fire & Rescue, Whitstable Labour Club, Whitstable Library, the Umbrella Centre, Horsebridge, RNLI and Whitstable Yacht Club brought a “smile to her face” when they went up. “That people should feel uncomfortable walking around our town because of their sexuality is entirely wrong” she said “the flags remind me that the idiots behind the recent graffiti are just a small minority”.

Chris said “flags and flagpoles often make people deeply uncomfortable but if the call to take part generated any sort of conversation amongst local organisations about the efforts that they make to be inclusive of the LGBTQI community, then the initiative was worth it”.

St Alphege Church and the LGBTQ youth group at Whitstable Youth Club are also taking part by preparing window displays on diversity. Dawn Ledingham who runs the Youth Group said it was “great to see the community coming together to support equality and diversity in this way.”

Next year councillors are to formally lobby the Council to display a Pride Flag on Tankerton Slopes much like the one they fly over Westgate Towers every year.