Hi all - which national Pride dates/events does your local authorities mark by flying the Pride Flag please?
I have found the below on the internet as a guide but this council flies the Pride Flag (6 horizontal stripe one) during February and June.
The main national Pride observance most local authorities mark
• Pride Month — June This is the primary month when councils across the UK raise the Pride flag. It’s widely recognised, nationally observed, and aligns with what most public bodies already do.
Other LGBTQ+ awareness days many councils also choose to recognise
These are optional, but commonly marked by local authorities that want to show broader support:
LGBT+ History Month — February A major UK observance focused on education, inclusion, and visibility.
IDAHOBIT — 17 May International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Many councils raise the flag because it’s globally recognised and centred on equality and safety.
Trans Day of Visibility — 31 March Increasingly acknowledged by councils, though not universal.
Bi Visibility Day — 23 September Marked by some authorities, especially those with active equality programmes.
What most councils actually do in practice
If you look across UK local authorities, the most consistent pattern is:
Pride Month (June) — almost universally marked
LGBT+ History Month (February) — widely marked
IDAHOBIT (17 May) — commonly marked
Others — optional depending on local policy and community engagement
This keeps things inclusive, non‑political, and aligned with national practice.
This is a useful question and one many councils are currently considering.
Across local government, there is increasing recognition of a wider range of dates associated with inclusivity, equality and belonging. That list is not static and is likely to continue to evolve as awareness grows and local priorities develop.
The “Dates” information often referenced is generally intended as a guide to good practice rather than a prescriptive or exhaustive list. It remains for each local authority to decide which dates it chooses to mark and how it does so. While some authorities use flag flying, others recognise events through communications, internal activity, community engagement, or other non‑flag‑based approaches.
It’s also important to acknowledge that flag flying can be politically sensitive for many councils. Local context, community expectations and the need to maintain political neutrality are all factors that typically influence flag‑flying policies. For this reason, some councils deliberately keep flag flying limited and instead show support for particular events or causes in alternative ways.
There is therefore no inherent issue with adding further dates (such as Disability Pride Month) where an authority feels this is appropriate locally. However, it may be helpful for any shared guidance or lists of dates to carry a clear caveat that:
the dates are not mandatory;
not all councils will mark every date; and
recognition does not necessarily involve flag flying.
This approach allows flexibility, reflects the diversity of practice across councils, and avoids creating an expectation that all listed dates will be observed in the same way everywhere.
Other LGBTQ+ awareness days many councils also choose to recognise
What most councils actually do in practice