New London Mayor Sadiq Khan flies Pride flag over City Hall to mark IDAHOT

New London Mayor Sadiq Khan has promised to make London a “more tolerant, fairer place to live” as he flies the Pride Flag over City Hall to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (IDAHOT).

The rainbow flag is currently flying outside the Mayor’s office by the River Thames to mark the international day of LGBT celebration, which will see more than 1000 events designed to fight discriminationsd take place across 130 countries.

Marked annually on 17 May, the date commemorates the World Health Organisation’s decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1990.

“I could not be more proud to help celebrate IDAHOT 2016 by flying the Pride flag here at City Hall” said Labour politician and former MP Mr Khan, who received death threats after voting for equal marriage in England and Wales in 2013.

“I was elected on a pledge to be Mayor for all Londoners and I will work with the LGBT+ community – as I will with all communities – to do everything I can to make London a more tolerant, fairer place to live.

“This is personal to me because I have been on the receiving end of hate crime, which has no place in our city, and I know how devastating it can be.”

Mr Khan defeated Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith in this month’s Mayoral election, becoming the first Muslim mayor of a major Western city in the process.

We caught up with the new London Mayor prior to his election this month to find out more about what he can do for the capital’s LGBT community – read our interview in full here.

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