Sir Richard Branson takes the rainbow Pride flag to Space

Virgin Radio

13 Jul 2021, 11:19

Outer-space might just be one of the only places on the government’s green travel list at the moment, and Sir Richard Branson made the most of this (and made history) by taking a trip to its edges, paving the way for commercial space flights very soon.

But Sir Richard’s flight also gave the LGBTQ+ community a reason to celebrate, with the businessman proudly wearing a rainbow flag on his spacesuit to honour the 49 victims of the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016.

The six-striped ribbon, which stood out against the navy-blue of Sir Richard’s suit, is one of millions made by Ben Johansen, the founder of the Orlando Ribbon Project, and his team of volunteers.

The project, which was set up in the aftermath of the devastating attack in Florida as a way for Ben to process his grief, aims to honour the victims with ribbons, and has sent them to over 65 countries. Now Ben, who describes himself as ‘The Ribbon Maker’ and his volunteers as ‘Ribbon Angels’, can tick space off of that list as well…

In fact, after his ribbons had reached all seven continents on this planet, space was a particular goal for Ben and his mission to honour the 49. ‘I wanted them to see the stars,’ he told Outcoast; ‘and they did!’

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday about his flight and his wearing of the ribbon, Sir Richard said ‘somebody who lost a loved one at the Orlando massacre asked if I would do that. We also have many, many friends who are gay and I know people who lost friends there.'

Pulse Orlando also thanked Sir Richard on Twitter, adding that, like many, they will 'never forget' the victims of the shooting: 

You might be wondering where is next for Ben and his rainbow ribbons after they've been to space and back, and if so you can keep up with the project on his Facebook Page. 

For more LGBTQ+ related content, check out Virgin Radio Pride, our pop-up station for the summer. You can listen to Virgin Radio Pride UK on DAB in London, online or via the Virgin Radio app.