VIENNA – Gay-themed traffic lights are getting a lot of attention in Vienna as they prepare for an annual multinational singing competition being held in the city on May 23.
Traffic lights in the Austrian capitol have been changed over to reflect images of same-sex couples holding hands and hugging – replacing the usual lone standing figure – as a way to celebrate Vienna’s open-minded attitudes leading up to the Eurovision Song contest.
The Eurovision Song Contest is a singing competition between nearly 40 countries throughout Europe that has been an annual event since 1956.
“The campaign is intended to present Vienna as an open-minded city and also to improve traffic safety as the unusual symbols attract the attention of drivers and pedestrians”, a spokesperson from Vienna’s city lighting department told Reuters.
“The city of Vienna will then collate data to see whether the campaign has indeed helped traffic safety”, she added.
