Rainbow flag and Armed Services flag fly together

Exmouth Town Hall embraces Pride and Armed Forces Day

EAST Devon resort Exmouth is claiming a first as the Rainbow Flag shared a flagpole outside the town hall with the Armed Forces Day flag to mark both events being staged in the town on the same day.

Whilst unarmed combat displays took place in the town centre’s Strand for Armed Forces Day, hundreds of people celebrated the town’s 4th LGBT+ Pride Day in the adjacent Manor Gardens with live music, a Pride Tree where people hung messages of love, hope and support and “informal but informed” talks on wellbeing for young people, coming out, gender identity and faith.

Chair of Exmouth Pride David Marston says: “I grew up in the era of Bronski Beat and “Small Town Boy” where I really thought I would have to run away to a big city to be able to live a full life.

"Things are not perfect but it shows how far we have come when a small town like Exmouth can celebrate Pride and think about the serious issues involved in ebbing LGBT+ in the world today. What’s more, we were able to do this while working alongside the organisers of Armed Forces Day - two events that some people might still think were not natural bed-fellows.”

The idea of raising the two flags together came from Mayor of Exmouth Jeff Trail, a retired Royal Marines Regimental Sergeant Major. He went on to open both events within an hour of each other and spoke warmly of community diversity and harmony.

Exmouth Pride welcomed Armed Services personnel to visit the pride event to collect for their charity while Devon Diva, the drag queen Miss Dixie and volunteers from Exmouth Pride were invited to the Armed Forces Day event to spread the Pride Message.