The Rainbow Flag is flying above the offices of Rutland County Council this month.

It's bright colours are on display to show the council promoting the flag's spirit of inclusivity and diversity.

Now there will be those who will oppose such a display, branding it political correctness, and no doubt offended at the thought of homosexuality itself.

I am inclined to agree a little on the flag issue, but more of that later, but it is pleasing that such obsolete views on sexuality are on their way out.

I hear of the odd comment online that there is, sadly, some bigotry in Oakham, but I like to think Rutlanders are a much more tolerant lot.

After all, the county was represented by Sir Alan Duncan for many a year.

When I first moved to Grantham several years ago, I would often half-jokingly describe the town as a 'hotbed of homosexuality'. Well, the MP Nick Boles was gay, the council leader Matthew Lee was gay and so was the Bishop of Grantham!

But was anybody bothered? It seemed not and that is how it should be. We should judge people on their talents, personalities and abilities not by who they sleep with, etc.

Nick Boles could b****r whoever he wanted, but he wasn't allowed to b****r Brexit, which many believed he was and it was that, that did him in the end. He claimed some discrimination but if it did exist, why did the local Tories choose a gay man as council leader?

Many years back, whilst living in New Zealand, I interviewed Georgine Beyer, who was the world's first trans-sexual mayor. She visited the town where I was newspaper editor to give advice on how to attract jobs.

Now, 20-odd years ago, certain things were quite new to me, and I considered raising the issue. But it did not seem right. The interview was about economic development and regeneration. So I didn't. I treated the mayor, who once joked about being a gelding, as I would anybody else, and that is how it should be.

In pre-lockdown times, one of my drinking buddies was also trans. She is very knowledgeable about the breweries of Germany and likes strong beers as I do. She likes a beer today as much as she did when she was a man. Such matters are not an issue. We do not care and that is how it should be.

So with the flag, there will be those who say the flag must be flown to say that LGBT people are welcome, that it must be raised as a sign to show support and to express opposition to discrimination. Perhaps that is the place Rutland is in right now, that it is necessary, to give comfort and support to those who need it.

Either way, I look forward to times when everyone no longer cares what we are, gay, trans, whatever, and that such visible expressions of support are no longer needed, and that raising the Rainbow Flag has become somewhat redundant.