The rainbow flag has been flown in Antarctica for the first time.
Arranged by Evan Townsend and Shawn Waldron, employees stationed at McMurdo Station, the event was marked two months early in April to avoid 24-hour darkness, according to reports from .
Speaking to , Townsend said he "found a group pretty immediately" upon arriving at McMurdo Station, a United States Antarctic research centre located roughly 1,400 kilometres from the South Pole.
“We had a few LGBTQ social events that people showed up to, and also, because it’s such a small community, it’s easy to find out who is and who isn’t in the LGBTQ community,” he said.
Townsend continued: “My biggest fear before I left was, 'I’m going to be the only gay person, there’s going to be no one else here'. I was wrong.”
Waldron said the celebration was a cathartic experience for he and his ten partaking co-workers.
“Your identity you already have, so I don’t think this place would take it away,” Waldron said, adding that the challenge was “finding the support for that".
He continued: “Doing that little celebration probably helps with the identity too.”
“We may be thousands of miles away from any major celebration,” Waldron said, "but we can do something.”
Tonwsend added that it was important for the group to share their message with the world, if not only to give others a little hope.
“Why not take this photo and let people see that there’s queer representation - even at the end of the earth,” he said.
