Lewisham Council in London, England, removed a “Progress Pride” transgender-affirming flag after a Christian political candidate threatened the authority with court action on the alleged basis of political bias during the recent U.K. General Election.
Attorneys for Maureen Martin, a candidate for the Christian Political Alliance (CPA) in the constituency of Lewisham East, warned the council to remove the flags for the town hall roof – or face a High Court injunction.
The legal basis for the warning heeded a complaint from Martin that the council flying the flag breached the Local Government Act 1986: “A local authority shall not publish, or arrange for the publication of, any material which, in whole or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party.”
The Progress Pride flag, seen at the roof of the council offices in Catford, South London, had also been installed without planning permission, according to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) supporting Martin’s complaint.
“You will appreciate that the area of transgender rights is a highly contentious political issue in the United Kingdom,” said CLC lawyers in a letter to the council. “You will also be aware that the Equality Act 2010 does not protect gender as a protected characteristic.”
The letter added that U.K. courts had previously ruled that “non-binary identities - which are promoted by the Progress Pride Flag - are neither recognised nor protected in UK law.”
The attorneys told the council that flying the flag showed the council giving support to political parties “who seek expanded rights for transexuals and associated identities” rather than remaining impartial, as required by legal precedent.
Council support for the flag thus breached the precedent of council authorities showing impartiality under election law, according to CLC, and conflicted with a political policy by the Christian People’s Alliance to stop the “socially divisive and wasteful promotion of LGBT ideology.”
Lewisham Council was requested to take action: that “Progress Pride Flags are immediately taken down from LLBC’s [Lewisham London Borough Council] premises and assurances are given that during the pre-election period such flags will not be flown again and further that LLBC will not publicly support the ideological causes embodied by the flag including by taking part in public parades, demonstrations or providing financial support to any ideological campaigns contrary to the positions of the CPA.”
In a statement, the Christian Legal Centre quoted the council agreeing to take action, saying: “to avoid any concern the flag is being taken down.”
Martin said that councils and businesses across the U.K. had displayed the Progress Pride flag “unlawfully”, and often without planning permission or a proper consultation.
“The transgender ideology behind this flag has been proven to be harmful to hundreds of vulnerable children,” Martin said.
“It is unacceptable that Lewisham Council and other councils across the country have and are making such an extreme public and ideological statement on such contested issues, even during elections.
“Greater awareness must be urgently raised about what these flags stand for, and public authorities flying them must be brought to account.”
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said the flags were dominating town centers and neighborhoods.
“They are intimidating and exclusionary towards Christians and others who don’t believe in Pride,” Williams said.
Martin previously won a pay-out from her former employer L&Q after she campaigned that marriage is between a man and a woman.
