Rainbow Pride Crosswalk Will Give Elderly Seizures, Critics Complain
[caption id="attachment_118679" align="alignnone" width="500"]
A rainbow crosswalk similar to the one in Totnes[/caption]
LGBT activists are working to install a rainbow pedestrian crossing was painted in Devon, England to support gay rights. But critics worry the bright colors might cause problems for elderly people suffering from dementia.
The LGBT organization Proud2be sponsored the crosswalk for Pride last year and is trying to make it a permanent fixture. But it was contacted by city councilors who instructed them to "seek further medical advice from experts."
"Somebody who works with the elderly is concerned that people with Alzheimer's might find a rainbow crossing very troubling," said town councillor Carol Wellwood. "The claim is that it would cause them to have hallucinations."
Matt Price, the head of Proud2Be, said he doesn't understand why the crosswalk "is any different from putting a rainbow-coloured display in a shop window or Christmas lights up at Christmas."
"We have already trialed it in the High Street [in London]," he added, "and no one got killed."
Matt's twin brother and Proud2Be's co-founder, Jon Price, says the rainbow crossing "increases visibility and awareness."
Rainbow crosswalks have popped up in Toronto, Key West, Philadelphia and other cities, with no worry about safety issues.
Here's hoping the rainbow stays.
h/t: Telegraph
