Plymouth Rainbow Flag helps fight against homophobia

Organisers of the annual Plymouth Pride Event are hoping that the recent flying of a Rainbow Flag outside Plymouth Guildhall will help to encourage more reporting of hate crime to the police.

Plymouth Pride Event is a city council partner organisation and arranged for the Rainbow Flag is to be flown to mark the International Day Against homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).

It hopes the move will help raise awareness of the need to report hate crime, which is estimated to be under-reported by 75 per cent.

Leaflets and beer mats giving advice on how to report hate crime have been produced and distributed in LGBT venues by the council and Plymouth Pride Event partnership.

The Guildhall was chosen for the flag flying because it has been a focal point for the annual Plymouth Pride Event celebrations over the past four years.

Darin Halifax, the city council’ community cohesion co-ordinator said: “We will continue working with partners such as the police to find ways to reduce the number of incidents of homophobia and transphobia in our city, and to raise the profile of reporting such incidents in order to combat them."

Plymouth Pride Event is currently looking for new voluntary trustees to oversee and help with the running of the annual event as the existing post holders step down due to their own work commitments and for health reasons.

Plymouth Pride Event treasurer David O’Brien said: “We hope to recruit people whose fresh energy and ideas can take the event to the next level.

“It is financially sound and is well-supported by LGBT groups and the wider community, but we just do not have enough people to cope properly with all the work that needs doing.”

Anybody interested in becoming a Plymouth Pride Event trustee or joining the organising committee should get in touch as soon as possible because of the need to organise events this year. They can email chair@plymouthprideevent.org.uk or write c/o 36 Looe Street, Plymouth, PL4 0EB.

Further details about the vacancies and more information about the festival can be found by logging on to www.plymouthprideevent.org.uk or by emailing chair@plymouthprideevent.org.uk.

Plymouth Pride Event is a registered charity raising awareness of the city’s LGBT communities. It works in partnership with Plymouth City Council, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, NHS Plymouth, Out Youth Group, Plymouth Pride Forum, Heart Radio, The Swallow public house, Zeros Nightclub, Eddystone Trust, Intercom Trust, Fyne Times, ‘In Other Words’ Books, She Bang, University of Plymouth, and the TUC South West.