Traffic lights will receive a makeover in the Östermalm district of the Swedish capital
Stockholm in Sweden is to become the latest city to receive same-sex traffic lights to show support for LGBTI Pride.
The first country in Europe believed to utilize same-sex couples on traffic lights instead of solo figures was Vienna. It introduced the lights in 2015 specifically for its hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Fellow Austrian city Linz followed suit, with further gay-themed lights turning up in Utrech (Netherlands), London (UK) and Madrid (Spain) for the recent World Pride festivities.
The Local reports that the upmarket Swedish district of Östermalm will see 48 traffic lights receive a same-sex makeover.
The temporary changeover will coincide with the city’s Pride celebrations between 31 July and 6 August.
‘We stand for one Stockholm for all’
‘We want to show that we’re an LGBT-friendly city – and show that even in tough traffic! We stand for one Stockholm for all,’ the city’s deputy mayor and head of Stockholm’s traffic division Daniel Helldén said.
In London, the same-sex couple traffic lights have remained in place after last year’s Pride activities came to an end. They can be seen dotted around Trafalgar Square.
Asked it he thought if the lights in Stockholm might stay up longer, Helldén told The Local, ‘It would of course be nice to have them up all year round,’ but that such a proposal would to be approved by the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen).
This year’s main Stockholm Pride parade will take place on Saturday 5 August.
