Aalst only major town to reject rainbow crossing offer
The Flemish roads agency has offered to pay the bill for a rainbow crossing in every Flemish municipality. Carnival city Aalst (East Flanders) is now the only major town to reject the offer.
A rainbow crossing is a multi-coloured crossing for pedestrians and signals diversity and that the lgbtqia+ community is welcome. Aalst councillors rejected the offer during a vote in a virtual meeting of the town council on Tuesday night. The opposition then walked out of the virtual meeting.
Flemish nationalist councillors of N-VA were joined by most of the Flemish liberals of Open VLD on the council as well as the far right Vlaams Belang in opposing the rainbow crossing.
Aalst will continue to fly the rainbow flag.