A rainbow flag will be flown on top of Edinburgh City Chambers for the entire month of June from next year in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, following a councillor's bid to have protocol changed.
The striped coloured flag was in the past displayed just once during June, which is Pride month.
It is also to be replaced with a 'Progress Flag', which incorporates black, brown, pink, pale blue and white stripes into the design to represent marginalised people of colour, as well as the trans community, and those living with HIV/AIDS.
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Green councillor Dan Heap, who called for the changes, said the move will act as a "visible demonstration" of the council's support for the LGBTQ+ community amid rising hate crime rates.
He tabled a motion at a full council meeting on Thursday (June 30) welcoming the return of Pride celebrations in Edinburgh last month after a three-year absence due to the pandemic.
But Councillor Heap highlighted that reported incidents of sexual orientation and transgender hate crimes rose 10 per cent and 87 per cent respectively in Scotland between 2021 and 2022.
"Pride is also a protest against the continuing, and in some cases, increasing, inequalities faced by this community," the motion stated.
It called on councillors to condemn "ongoing campaigns of hate" against transgender people and "support their right to live free from transphobia."
The proposal, the first to be tabled by Councillor Heap since he was elected to the council in May, further noted: "Council Flag Protocol directs officers to fly the rainbow flag only once during June."
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He requested that this be changed to the progress flag, to be flown from the Chambers "for the entirety of the month of June as well as LGBTI+ history month in February and the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17."
The motion was passed with unanimous support from members.
Councillor Heap said: "With rising rates of reported homophobic and transphobic hate crimes in Scotland, it is very important the council had a opportunity to celebrate Pride and demonstrate its solidarity with the LGBTIQ+ community. I'm also pleased the inclusive Progress Flag will now fly all Pride month as a visible demonstration of that."
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