The group responsible for the sign, the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS) came up with the idea in response to calls to re-arm the country and increase the military budget following alleged Russian submarine incursions.

SPAS, which claims to be the world’s oldest peace organisation, decided to respond to the increased military mobilisation with ‘The Singing Sailor Sub Surface Defence System’.

The Singing Sailor, a neon sign of a topless sailor thrusting his brief-clad hips in a ‘white flag’ gesture, sends out a Morse code message to all nearby sub-aquatic vessels: ‘This way if you are gay’.

The sign, which was installed by the group off the east coast of Stockholm on April 27, also sports the slogan ‘Welcome to Sweden, Gay Since 1944’ – a reference to the year Sweden legalised homosexuality.

“The purpose of the Operation The Singing Sailor is to urge the Swedish government to think in new ways instead of falling back on territorial defence, conscription and rearmament – the world doesn’t need more weapons,” says a statement on the SPAS’ website.

“Military rearmament in itself is a major contributing cause of conflict, and that conflicts take a violent and destructive process.”

“If weapons had functioned as a conflict solving method there would have been peace in the world a long time ago.”

The group also extended an invitation to Stockholm Pride on August 1 to all submarine crews who happen see or hear the Singing Sailor.