South Western Railway has launched the country's first-ever Intersex-Inclusive Pride train with a new livery on a Class 444 train which is a mark of support and solidarity with its LGBTQIA+ customers, colleagues and the wider community.
The Bournemouth Depot took on the task of applying the new livery to the train which enters service today, the 29th of March, with the first run being crewed exclusively by LGBTQIA+ South Western Railway colleagues.
People will be able to see the train with its new colourful livery on the well-used South West Main Line between London Waterloo and Weymouth, travelling through Greater London, Surrey, Hampshire, and Dorset.
LGBTQIA+ people recognise the rainbow Pride flag as a symbol since it was first created in the 1970s and has since seen several updates to reflect the many different parts of the community, celebrating diversity and highlighting greater inclusion both within and without.
Amber Hikes and Daniel Quasar are American activists and respectively added black and brown stripes to represent black and minority ethnic people alongside light blue, light pink and white stripes for transgender people, creating the ‘Progress Pride' flag.
2021 saw Valentino Vecchiette a British intersex equality campaigner re-design the Progress Pride flat which now includes the intersex flag which features a purple ring on a yellow background and is now the ‘Intersex-Inclusive Pride' flag which is the design which South Western Railway has used on the Class 444.
The design saw its formal reveal today (29th March) as senior leaders from South Western Railway including Managing Director -Claire Mann, and Chief Operating Officer -Stuart Meek, joined by LGBTQIA+ colleagues and Valentino Vecchietti.
Stuart Meek, Chief Operating Officer of South Western Railway, commented: “It is wonderful to have this train proudly flying the flag for equality on our network, furthering inclusion with the new Intersex-Inclusive flag design, and visibly showing our support for LGBTQIA+ colleagues and customers.
“SWR is one family, and we are committed to fostering a sense of togetherness and standing up for all of our customers and colleagues, and all of the communities we serve.”
Bryce Hunt, Weymouth Station Manager and Chair of South Western Railway's Pride Network commented: “Being proud of who you are is the opportunity to be openly expressive, loving, and honest. Our commitment to our colleagues and customers is that they can be unafraid of their true self and be met with understanding and support. Our Pride Network has released this new livery which shows our full commitment to the communities we serve internally and externally.”
Valentino Vecchietti, creator of the Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag and founder of Intersex Equality Rights UK, commented: “The Intersex-Inclusive Pride train means so much to the LGBTQIA+ community and to our families, friends, and allies. I created intersex visibility on our global Pride flag to bring joy to my community, and also to raise awareness that intersex people in the UK and worldwide are typically not included in census data collection, equality protections or hate crime legislation.
“The umbrella term ‘intersex' describes the natural diversity in sex characteristics. Sex characteristics are distinct from gender identity and sexual orientation but are all connected through the sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) human rights framework, which is reflected in the new flag.”
The results of the first census to ask respondents optional questions regarding their sexual orientation and gender identity in England and Wales were made available earlier in the year by the Office for National Statistics. The results revealed that the London Borough of Lambeth which is home to South Western Railways flagship London Waterloo terminus and Vauxhall station features one of the most LGBTQIA+ populated areas in the country achieving the third highest percentage of 8.3%.
South Western Railway's Pride Network is active in championing inclusivity in regard to sexual orientation and gender identity and in February which is History Month was highly commended for Diversity and Inclusion in Rail at the Rail Business Awards.
The newly liveried inclusive Pride train will be out and about in operation across the South Western Railway network right through Pride season 2023 and beyond!
What cobblers
Why might SWT train’s passengers be impressed by this virtue signalling exercise? Why might they also wonder why expense was expended on this worthless livery, even though it might be only a couple of thousands pounds of decals?
Perhaps they (the passengers, hanging on every detail of this fruitless exercise) might think that SWT would be better occupied in running their bit of our national railway better than they have recently?
You can but hope