WATCH: Unveiling of new 50m Pride flag
A NEW 50-metre LGBTQ+ identity flag has arrived for this year’s Channel Islands Pride.
The flag will be a prominent feature in the parade march and is split into 10 sections, each depicting one of the flags that represents members of the LGBT+ community.
Within the 50 metres, the sections will show the inclusive version of the rainbow flag, which includes stripes for the trans and black and minority ethnic (BAME) community members, along with the non-binary, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, intersex, lesbian, gender fluid and LGBTQ+ ally flags.
The flag has been sponsored by KPMG in the Channel Islands and will be unveiled at Candie Gardens this morning.
Linda Johnson, partner for inclusion and diversity at the sponsoring firm, said the local branches were proud to support CI Pride as inclusion and diversity was a huge part of KPMG.
‘We embrace diversity of background, experience, and perspective – as we recognise the value that diverse thinking brings to our organisation and our reputation in the marketplace,’ she said.
‘We’re committed to inclusion at every level in our organisation and acknowledge the role of leaders in driving this from the top through their inclusive actions and behaviours, which is why we wanted to get involved and support Channel Islands Pride.’
Although the rainbow flag is known to be inclusive towards all identities, there are some in the community who experience discrimination more commonly because of who they are.
For this reason, the CI Pride team wanted to make a point of supporting all who sit under that rainbow, including trans and BAME community members.
Ellie Jones, CEO of equality charity Liberate and the CI Pride director, said: ‘As a white cis person, I understand the privilege I have compared to trans and BAME people.
‘Sometimes, as privileged people, we need to go out of our way to show that we’ve thought about people who are less seen.
‘I know how much visibility means to me, so when I see a building that has a rainbow on it, or a police officer wearing a rainbow lanyard, it shows that they’ve gone out of their way to show they are acknowledging us.
‘So, we want to show that we see and will stand up for all members of our community and ensure no one is left behind on our journey for acceptance and equality.’
Channel Islands Pride events run from Friday to Sunday. Liberate looks forward to seeing the island come together to celebrate inclusivity, diversity and equality throughout the community.
