A woman who made history by persuading British embassies in Europe to fly the rainbow flag is set to go on a whirlwind Pride solidarity tour.

Clare Dimyon, a 44-year-old Quaker, will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of her own coming out by jetting off to meet with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups across Europe this summer.

Clare, from Brighton, made headlines last June when she prompted the British ambassador to Latvia to hang the gay flag outside the embassy for Riga's Pride parade.

It is thought to be the first time the rainbow flag had been flown outside a British embassy anywhere in the world.

The same happened in Warsaw and Brazil.

Speaking about this year's ten-week tour, Clare said: “We want to support people who are suffering injustice.

“We want to say, 'We're with you, we support you. You're not on your own'.”

Clare wants to raise awareness in former Soviet countries that do not yet have the resources to protect gay rights.

It has been far from an easy journey for Clare, who had firecrackers thrown at her in Moldova while on a Pride march, but she remains determined.

She said: “It's important to fight it when people are using religion and the bible as an excuse for homophobia.”

Her journey kicks off tomorrow in Moldova. She then travels to Riga for Baltic Pride, which attracts support from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The British embassies from these countries have pledged to translate their LGBT “toolkit” into the appropriate languages. The toolkit is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office document containing British policy on gay rights and how overseas government bodies can avoid discrimination.

Clare will be in Ljubjljana, the capital of Slovenia, for the 31st anniversary of the creation of the rainbow flag - an appropriate place to be on June 25, as the city translates literally as “I love you”.