Pair of traffic lights

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Traffic light couple in Amsterdam

Traffic light pairs are special pedestrian signals whose shape goes back to the Ampelmännchen or -weibchen.

In some cities in Austria and Germany there have been traffic light pairs since 2015, in all three possible combinations of the two genders, man and woman. From this it also often a political statement of equality of at the same and of heterosexual love connected.

Gay traffic light couples were then installed in other cities such as London and Madrid . Outside of Europe, you can find pairs of traffic lights in Canberra, Australia .

Austria

A pair of traffic lights in Vienna
Lesbian traffic light couples in Vienna
Vienna, Wien, Wenen (27789276655) .jpg
Lesbian traffic light couple (red)
Vienna, Wien, Wenen (27178510333) .jpg
Lesbian traffic light couple (green)


In the Austrian capital Vienna on May 11, 2015, on the occasion of the Life Ball , the Eurovision Song Contest (which was held in Vienna due to the success of the singer and drag queen Conchita Wurst ) and the Rainbow Parade, three different types of “traffic light” Pärchen “with a heart and ( straight , lesbian , gay ) installed. This action by the City of Vienna was originally only intended to last until the end of June, i.e. for seven weeks. After considerable positive media coverage around the world, and the quickly articulated demand from numerous people, City Councilor Vassilakou ( Greens ) decided on May 18th that the couples will get stuck: “The couples have become popular photo motifs and now have cult status - that's great for the acceptance of lesbian and gay couples and a real new motive for tourists in Vienna. ”The SPÖ tourism spokesman Max Unterrainer also spoke of a“ tourist brand ”, the traffic light couples stand for togetherness, for a cosmopolitan Vienna. The Facebook group Die Wiener Ampelpärchen should stay until 19 May had a good 20,000 participants. The homosexual initiative HOSI welcomed the fact that the couple were left permanently.

In this short time of decision-making, the Viennese FPÖ went “far too far”, locating “a waste of tax money” and attempting to prosecute Vassilakou for violating the StVO. ÖVP state party chairman and city councilor Manfred Juraczka found the new pair of Ampelmännchen "not exactly cheap" and described the discussion about it as "folly".

The cost of replacing the traffic lights at 120 pedestrian crossings or 49 traffic light locations was € 63,000. According to MA  33 - “Vienna Lights”, the StVO would only prescribe the color, but not the motif. An evaluation showed a significant decrease in red walkers of almost 20%. In addition to the surprise effect, this is attributed to the increased luminosity.

SPÖ tourism spokesman Unterrainer went on May 19 and called for pairs of traffic lights for all of Austria, considered the cost of 1285 euros per traffic light to be reasonable, and also saw the possibility of such traffic lights on heavily frequented ski slopes. The City of Vienna holds the rights to the design, which is why free usage contracts have been concluded for further use in other cities.

On the initiative of SoHo, the social democratic homosexual initiative Salzburg and Mayor Schaden (SPÖ) - “Salzburg is an open and tolerant city. This time we are relying on a current and relaxed statement ... at least as effective as ... declarations of principle ... "- early on Thursday, June 18, 2015, pedestrian traffic lights at the heads of the central Staatsbrücke received the Viennese motifs (one gay, one lesbian and one straight couple) .

After Vienna and Salzburg, Linz also received pairs of traffic lights on June 26, 2015, the day before events on Christopher Street Day . At the four crossings of the central Mozart intersection, the pedestrian lights showed the Viennese symbols: a gay, a lesbian and a straight couple. The cost of the exchanged front panels of around 1000 euros was financed by sponsors via a private initiative via Facebook and installed by traffic officer Karin Hörzing (SPÖ), who was able to understand the intention “as a symbol of openness and tolerance”. The new FPÖ City Councilor for Transport, Markus Hein, made the badges disappear at the beginning of December 2015: "Traffic lights are a traffic sign and must not be misused to convey messages of sentiment". He wanted "a uniform appearance in city traffic" with the usual single men - he considers the traffic light pairs to be "completely unnecessary" and the legal situation for same-sex couples in Austria would be progressive. The Greens strongly criticized the dismantling of the Linz traffic lights. The state parliament member and co-initiator of the installation, Severin Mayr, found it “shameful”: “While signs are being set elsewhere to promote cosmopolitanism and peaceful coexistence, FPÖ City Councilor Hein is going backwards” - which can only be explained with “ homophobia or starvation”. The Socialist Youth in Linz also protested; SJ activists stuck couple stickers on the masts of the traffic lights affected in protest.

On December 17, a request from SPÖ Mayor Luger for the re-assembly of the couple in the city senate remained in the minority, because the FPÖ voted against, the ÖVP abstained. Thereupon the Greens and KPÖ submitted an urgency request to the municipal council, but SPÖ and FPÖ - the coalition partners - voted against the urgency. At the end of 2015, the SPÖ, Greens, NEOS and KPÖ endorsed the couple motifs, which would result in a slim majority for a future vote in the local council.

Germany

Gay traffic light couple in Hamburg
Red traffic light women and green traffic light men couple in the Glockenbachviertel in Munich

For Christopher Street Day 2015, the pairs of traffic lights were also installed in Munich for the first time. From 2016 onwards, they will be used annually in the period around Christopher Street Day in the area of ​​the Glockenbachviertel. Shortly thereafter, Berlin and Hamburg followed , where you can see pairs of traffic lights in St. Georg ("diversity traffic lights"). The city of Frankfurt am Main received a permanent homosexual pair of traffic lights on the occasion of the CSD 2018 at the Konstablerwache , as did Cologne for the CSD 2019 on the Heumarkt .

Switzerland

In Zurich , it was decided to introduce homosexual traffic light couples on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the “ Zurich Pride Festival ” and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands there are pairs of traffic lights in Utrecht and Amsterdam.

Spain

In 2017, 288 gay traffic light couples were installed in Madrid .

Great Britain

The pair of traffic lights has existed in London since 2016.

Australia

In Canberra , homosexual traffic light couples were set up in 2018 to mark the first anniversary of the opening of marriage for same-sex couples .

Web links

Commons : Pedestrian signals with couples  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH: Austria: In Vienna there are now gay traffic light men. May 12, 2015, accessed October 13, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Munich gets gay traffic light men . In: sueddeutsche.de . 2015, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed on October 13, 2017]).
  3. ↑ Flensburg Signal - traffic light coalition for gay couples. In: Kiel News. Retrieved October 13, 2017 .
  4. ↑ a b theworldnews.net: Zurich - Green light for "gay" traffic light couples
  5. ↑ a b Viennese pair of traffic lights. wien.at → Verkehr & Stadtentwicklung , accessed January 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ Pair of traffic lights get stuck. ORF.at, May 18, 2015, accessed May 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ Homosexual traffic light couples should stay. ORF.at, May 15, 2015, accessed May 16, 2015.
  8. ↑ Couples with traffic lights attract international attention. ORF.at, May 13, 2015, accessed May 16, 2015.
  9. ↑ SPÖ for Austria-wide traffic light couples. ORF.at, May 19, 2015, accessed on May 19, 2015.
  10. ↑ a b Relaxed statement: There are now also traffic lights in Salzburg . krone.at, June 18, 2015, accessed December 7, 2015.
  11. ↑ Pair of traffic lights are now also shining in Linz. ORF.at, June 26, 2015, accessed December 7, 2015.
  12. ↑ "completely unnecessary": Linz FPÖ city council had the pair of traffic lights dismantled. krone.at December 7, 2015, accessed December 7, 2015.
  13. ↑ FPÖ city council had the pair of traffic lights dismantled. ORF.at, December 7, 2015, accessed December 7, 2015.
  14. ↑ Linz: FPÖ city council dismantle pair of traffic lights. presse.at, December 7, 2015, accessed December 7, 2015.
  15. ↑ Traffic light couple dispute in extension. ORF.at, December 17, 2015, accessed December 17, 2015.
  16. ↑ Pair of traffic lights as an export hit. ORF.at, May 19, 2015. accessed May 19, 2015.
  17. ↑ shz.de New diversity traffic light. Gay traffic light men for Hamburg
  18. ↑ Frankfurt gets permanently gay traffic light couples. Retrieved November 10, 2019 .
  19. ↑ zdf.de: Campaign for the CSD - Cologne gets homosexual traffic light couples
  20. ↑ Cologne: CSD traffic lights remain indefinite - queer.de. Retrieved November 10, 2019 .
  21. ↑ queer.de pairs of traffic lights are becoming more international. Gay traffic lights in Utrecht too
  22. ↑ bento.de: Queer. Madrid shows lesbian and gay couples on the traffic lights
  23. ↑ queer.de: "No plans" for dismantling. London: gay and trans traffic lights become permanent
  24. ↑ https://www.queer.de/bild-des-tages.php?einzel=2463