A RAINBOW coloured pedestrian crossing is taking pride of place outside County Hall in Oxford.
The crossing in New Road was marked with rainbow colours to coincide with this year's Oxford Pride festival which started in May and ran until June 2.
Read again: Oxford Pride 2019 as it happened
The county council has now confirmed that the crossing's rainbow edges, created by highways staff, are here to stay.
Charlotte Stacey, a county council employee and LGBTQI+ network member, said: “The crossing looks fantastic and is a clear sign to people that Oxford and Oxfordshire are inclusive places.
“Being an inclusive organisation helps us better reflect and listen to our communities.
"As an employee I know that Oxfordshire County Council strives to be an inclusive workplace, helping us all to bring our true selves to work with all our diverse knowledge, experience and energy.”
Last month the council flew the pride flag to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia and to celebrate the start of the Oxford Pride festival fortnight.
County councillor Mark Gray, cabinet member for Local Communities, said: “What an imaginative way to show support for diversity during Pride fortnight.
“The council is a Stonewall Diversity Champion and often flies the rainbow flag above County Hall.
"And while these small visual signs are a great way of showing people our values, it’s also what we do every day as an organisation that really counts."
Oxford Bus Company has created an Oxford Pride livery for one of its double decker buses.
Thousands of people attended Oxford Pride Day and Parade on June 1 as part of the city's two-week long Oxford Pride festival.
Oxford Pride, now in its 16th year, was 'bigger and better' than ever according to organisers, with more music stages and high temperatures pulling in the crowds for the annual event dedicated to 'lesbian, gay, bi, trans, intersex and queer life in Oxfordshire'.
Starting in Radcliffe Square at midday an explosion of colours and music spilled down Broad Street with creative costumes and banners even including a giant 'puppet' of ‘LGBT Jesus’ who shook hands with onlookers.
The procession continued through the city centre led by the beat of Oxford’s Sol Samba band towards the Westgate Centre, with revellers ending in the shopping centre’s Leiden Square.
READ AGAIN: #HoldTight for a fortnight of celebrations for Oxford Pride
One of the first activities of the Pride fortnight involved volunteers painting flags of sexual orientation on paving stones outside New Road Baptist Church in Bonn Square.
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