In response to your article "Invite to gay US visitors" (The Argus, October 27), it is very kind of Sue John to recognise the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community's "massive contribution to the city's lively atmosphere" and that it is "an important segment in helping to sustain local businesses and jobs".

Perhaps she could communicate these facts to her colleagues on Brighton and Hove City Council who continue to bask in the glory of an event which brought in £4.1m to the city's economy in a single weekend.

I refer of course to Pride, which was this year voted the best festival of its kind in the UK.

Considering the council provided no direct funding, that's not a bad return.

The council should also note that all of the cities mentioned as targets in your article fully recognise the contribution made by the LGBT community and reflect this by visible tokens such as flying the rainbow flag from civic buildings - something our elected representatives don't even do for one day on the annual Pride celebration.

The rainbow flag is seen as an important symbol of equality by the LGBT community and the council's recent refusal to fly it has been seen by many people as a lack of understanding of this community.

Many other councils around the country, including London boroughs, Glasgow and Manchester, fly the rainbow flag so why is Brighton and Hove unable to do so - especially when it seems so keen to attract the spending power of LGBT tourists and their "pink pound"?

The council cannot have it both ways.

Finally, there seems to be little by way of initiatives or action from the council to counter (often violent) acts of homophobia and discrimination.

So when gay visitors from abroad do come here, they are hardly free to express themselves or walk our streets in safety.

The LGBT "market" is very perceptive and adept at seeing through flannel.

I doubt the visitors being targeted would readily visit our city were these facts to be widely known.

-Dion Mills, Hove