The City of Adelaide has unveiled a rainbow-coloured walkway to acknowledge the local LGBTQI community.
The walkway, dubbed, ‘Pride Walk’, includes a timeline of significant milestones, people and events in South Australia’s history.
Launched to coincide with the Adelaide Feast Festival – an annual festival celebrating the city’s queer community – the installation will become a permanent symbol of diversity in the city.
Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese thanked the local LGBTQI and broader community for their input in planning stages and for helping to decide on the name.
“The City of Adelaide is proud to be a diverse, inclusive city and Council was determined to honour its commitment to recognise this through the installation of Pride Walk,” said the Lord Mayor.
“Our city has a long and proud history of leading the way in celebrating diversity and we’re delighted to launch Pride Walk at the start of Feast Festival with all of our friends here today.”
Adelaide Feast’s Patron and co-founder Margie Fischer said the installation is a celebration and demonstrates how far public opinion in the city has progressed.
“The new Pride Walk is a celebration of the LGBTQI community, joyous celebratory public art which will be enjoyed by the wider community and visitors to Adelaide.
“The Walk recognises and appreciates those who paved the way for us here today.
“Before the decriminalisation of homosexuality it was a tough road – none of those who have pioneered law reform, acceptance and respect for LGBTI people would have imagined a rainbow walk!
“The Walk is a road we can walk together to support diversity and acceptance. As well as being a widely recognised symbol of ‘gayness’ the rainbow has long been a symbol of peace.
“The development of the Rainbow Walk has involved input from LGBTIQ community members and is an artistic expression of the queer and broader community working together on a community arts project.
“On behalf of Feast I would like to thank the Adelaide City Council for taking this step.”