Plymouth Citybus Apologises After ‘Rebranding’ Pride Flag For The NHS

Plymouth Citybus, a Plymouth bus company, has issued an apology after ‘rebranding’ and ‘renaming' a Pride bus as an NHS rainbow bus. The bus company, previously printed with the six-stripped Pride flag writing “Plymouth Citybus proudly supports Pride in Plymouth” now, keeping the six-stripped flag, wrote “thank you NHS and key workers”.

As ‘Attitude’ reports, many from the LGBT+ community accused Plymouth Citybus of erasing decades of LGBT+ persecution and history stating it is not in fact “a rainbow”.

Now, Plymouth Citybus has apologised for causing any “offence”, adding that is an “inclusive company.”

In their statement through a Facebook post, the company stated: “We would like to apologise if the use of our pride bus to support the NHS and key workers has caused offence. This was not our intention. Our team have played a huge part in @PrideinPlymouth for many years. We are an all inclusive company representing the community we serve.”

Pride in Plymouth had previously issued a statement, saying they had been in touch with Plymouth Citybus, who assured them that the ‘rebranding’ of the bus would only be temporary.

“Following some concerns from members of Plymouth's and wider LGBT+ communities, Plymouth Citybus have been in touch with Pride in Plymouth to confirm that the current rebranding of their colourful rainbow Pride bus is a tempoarary measure to show support for the National Health Service in these difficult times. With the more traditional seven colour rainbow becoming associated with the NHS response to COVID-19, Citybus felt that the Pride bus (with its six colour Pride flag colours) could quickly be used as a symbol for different communities working together, in these difficult times, over the next few weeks. Rest assured though, this is a temporary measure while a design is created for a new Pride in Plymouth bus for 2020,” the statement read.

Read related myGwork articles here:

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