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This mysterious sex toy flag left everyone flummoxed, after CNN mistook it for an ISIS flag – but we’ve finally got the full story behind it.



The American news network carried a six-minute report on Saturday claiming that an ISIS flag was flown at London’s Pride celebrations.

The show’s anchor alleged that “the ISIS flag amongst a sea of rainbow colours was spotted by a CNN international assignment editor” – with the correspondent in a phone interview admitting she was “surprised” to be the only one who had spotted it.

The Chair of Pride in London Michael Salter later admitted to being baffled by the flag, saying: “It was quite odd on the day when we got reports of this, we started looking around trying to find it – but we couldn’t actually find the flag in the end.”

However, artist Paul Coombs has now stepped forward as the person who was carrying the flag.

He told PinkNews it was the in fact “the flag of ‘Dildosis’, a conceptual organisation he has set up as a counterpoint to ISIS, established for the advancement of an ecstatic state”.

He added: “The flag, similar in appearance to the flag of ISIS, depicts a series of dildos and sex-aids in the place of Arabic script.”

The artist’s website features a number of other ‘Dildosis’ designs.



Coombs claimed that he was removed from the Pride parade by police, who later established the flag didn’t pose a threat but instructed him to stop flying it.

His statement to PinkNews said: “Reaching Piccadilly Circus, the artist had nearly completed the entire length of the parade when the police removed him from the procession in order to confirm that the flag did indeed depict dildos and sex-aids and posed no threat.

“The artist complied with the police request to keep the flag concealed, as a precaution, and no arrest was made.”

Following a number of terror attacks last week, he noted: “In light of the recent tragic events in France, Tunisia and Kuwait, the artist considered the sensitivities of continuing with the protest.

“However, cancelling would have made a distinction between western victims of ISIS and those in other parts of the world who are being slaughtered daily.

“The artist considers all acts of murder abhorrent, regardless of nationality, and therefore the decision was made to continue.”

(Photos: Paul Coombs)