Marc Silver the founder of beOUTbeFREE.com (Brighton based LGBTQ+ Travel Agency) has started a campaign & fund raiser, to try get a rainbow crossing on St James Street Kemp Town and to raise funds to have the permanent landmark in Brighton to celebrate 50 years since the Stonewall Riots & a celebration of diversity we hold dear in Brighton.
Mr Silver feels that a permanent rainbow crossing on St James Street in Kemp Town would be a perfect location for such a thing. We have recently been inspired by the recent permanent rainbow crossing that has been installed in Lambeth in London on 16th Aug 2019, meaning legally this is possible to do in the UK!
Kemp Town in Brighton is historically and unofficially the LGBTQ+ area in Brighton and would be a perfect area for such an important historical mile stone to be celebrated with a visual piece of art, on st James Street that also represents the past struggles the LGBTQ+ community have had and where we are today, and a statement to the future to how there is still work to do. As well as celebrating diversity in our beloved city of Brighton that many LGBTQ+ people now call home.
We understand that this should not come from the public purse. Therefore, we are asking for donations form the LGBTQ+ community and local business in Brighton and further afield to help fund such a project. We have started a Go Fund Me page “Brighton Rainbow crossing” and we have a Facebook page also
“Brighton Rainbow Crossing” to raise funds and awareness of the campaign.
Of course, we have at this stage, no clear cost involved, but we would seek to find a true cost, within the next few weeks. As well as contacting Brighton & Hove Council and possibly the Highways Agency, as this would affect a road. We have put a figure of 20k but this is an estimate and this may have to change. If the cost is greater, we would adapt and inform accordingly with cost estimates. If the cost is less and we raise more than we needed, then we would give the remaining funds available to the Brighton LGBTQ+ charity The Rainbow Hub which is also situated on St James street.
We feel this would be a great visual memorial to the past struggles and present and the future equality for the LGBTQ+ community not just in Brighton but further afield to. In doing so give a great new piece of art to St James Street and Brighton.
The work starts now. Let’s see what we can do together for a permanent landmark in Brighton to mark 50 years since the Stonewall Riots and celebrate our great diversity in Brighton that we cherish and appreciate, and the symbol for the city to inspire to and achieve more for a world of equality.
