Native authorities must be held accountable in the event that they show a controversial Progress Satisfaction flag with out planning permission, a Christian candidate has claimed after efficiently difficult a London council.
Maureen Martin, the Christian Folks's Alliance candidate for Lewisham East, has threatened to hunt a Excessive Courtroom injunction if the council doesn’t take away the flag that flew from the roof of the city corridor in the course of the election.
The Progress Satisfaction flag differs from the traditional Satisfaction flag by including black and brown stripes to signify marginalized LGBTQ+ folks of colour, and the pink, blue, and white stripes from the transgender flag.
Not like the normal rainbow Satisfaction flag, the Progress Satisfaction flag requires a particular allow to be displayed outdoors a constructing as a result of it’s thought of promoting.
In a letter to the council by means of her attorneys, Miss Martin stated: “You can see that the world of transgender rights is a extremely contentious political concern within the UK.
“Additionally, you will bear in mind that the Equality Act 2010 doesn’t shield gender as a protected attribute.”
The council agreed to take down the flag “to keep away from any disturbance”.
Reacting to the consequence, Miss Martin stated: “This 12 months, significantly in June, we now have seen councils and companies show the Progress Satisfaction flag, illegally and infrequently with out permission or correct session.
“The transgender ideology behind this flag has been confirmed to be dangerous to a whole lot of susceptible youngsters.
“It’s unacceptable that Lewisham Council and different councils throughout the nation have made and proceed to make excessive public and ideological statements on such contentious points, even throughout an election.
“There may be an pressing want to lift consciousness of what these flags imply and the general public authorities who fly them should be held to account.”
Andrea Williams, chief government of the Christian Authorized Centre, which supported Miss Martin, he stated: “These flags mustn’t dominate our metropolis facilities and neighborhoods. They’re intimidating and exclusionary to Christians and others who don’t imagine in Satisfaction.”