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A Welsh council has made an extraordinary U-turn over its decision not to fly the LGBT flag outside its headquarters.

Carmarthenshire council received fierce criticism earlier this week after it confirmed that it would not be raising a rainbow flag to celebrate LGBT History Month.

The council said that flying the flag would “fall outside its current policy”.

But after public pressure and a written letter from Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, the flag was raised outside County Hall in Carmarthen on Friday morning and will stay there for the duration of the weekend.

Members of the council’s Constitutional Review Working Group voted unanimously against flying the flag but it has now been raised in an attempt to “clear any misunderstanding”.

The leader of Carmarthenshire Council, Emlyn Dole, suggested that the authority’s flag policy, which has been subject to condemnation in recent days, would be changed “at a later date”.

Mr Dole said: “Whilst the cross-party committee of councillors decided against amending the authority’s flag protocol, enforcing a presumptive rejection to all flag requests, I am concerned that the decision has been deliberately misinterpreted for political purposes, suggesting that Carmarthenshire Council does not support and celebrate LGBT staff members and residents. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"In order to clear any misunderstanding, and to demonstrate our commitment to equality and the celebration of diversity, I have instructed council officers to fly the rainbow flag over County Hall this weekend.

“We can return to the formal process for amending the council’s flag policy at a later date, but as leader of the council I have taken the decision to fly the rainbow flag this weekend as an expression of Carmarthenshire council’s support and solidarity with our staff and residents in the LGBT+ community.”

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Labour councillor Rob James welcomed the sight of the rainbow flag flying above County Hall and revealed he has tabled a motion to be discussed at a full meeting of Carmarthenshire council next month to ensure that the rainbow flag is flown in years to come.

LGBT History Month, which takes place every February, aims to promote equality and diversity for the benefit of the public by increasing the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Pride Cymru, a charity which works to promote the elimination of discrimination, also welcomed the u-turn and credited the public for bringing about the change.

“We are delighted that Carmarthenshire Council has now decided to fly the rainbow flag after all," said Lu Thomas, the charity’s chair, who said she hoped the flag would remain in place for the remainder of February, and not just this weekend.

“We are of course disappointed that it has taken such an outpouring of upset at the council’s previous approach to celebrating LGBT+ history month, for them to change their decision - the council may not think public statements of support are important, but it is evident from the size of the protest and breadth of condemnation that it really does matter. The LGBT+ community matters.

“Pride Cymru will continue to provide much needed support our LGBT+ communities, wherever they are in Wales. The situation this week has highlighted that, although it is 2018 and much ground has been gained in terms of equality and fairness for all, there is still a great deal of work to be done.”

To protest against the council’s initial decision, a group had been set up to congregate in the centre of Carmarthen on the weekend.

The group still intends to meet at 10am on Saturday in the town’s Nott Square for a celebration of LGBT History Month.