News story

Cabinet Office fly iconic rainbow flag to celebrate Pride

The rainbow flag will fly at the Cabinet Office this week to celebrate the annual Pride event in London.

• From: Cabinet Office, The Rt Hon Matt Hancock and The Rt Hon Oliver Letwin
• Published: 22 June 2015

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

The rainbow flag, symbolising LGBT pride, will fly at the Cabinet Office this week to mark the annual Pride event in London.

Oliver Letwin, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:

We are delighted to join with the LGBT community in celebrating Pride this weekend, and will be flying our flag at the heart of Whitehall. We have committed to governing one nation, bringing people together and flying the flag this week shows our pride in and solidarity with the LGBT community.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Matthew Hancock commented:

Civil servants across the country will be joining in the celebrations this week, and flying the flag shows that pride in our LGBT community is shared at the most senior levels of Whitehall.

The flag symbolises lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, and reflects the diversity of the LGBT community with its red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet horizontal stripes.

Designed in San Francisco in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, the original flag had 8 stripes instead of today’s 6.

Published 22 June 2015