Christian charity tries to bar civil servants backing Pride

A campaign group has launched legal action seeking to ban civil servants from wearing rainbow lanyards, endorsing Pride events and using preferred pronouns in public-facing email signatures.

- ATHENA STAVROU

The Christian Institute has claimed that civil service “endorsement” of LGBT+ Pride “breaches rules on impartiality” and is “clearly political”. In a letter sent to the government before launching its action, the charity said it is seeking a judicial review of staff participation in Pride events. The action has prompted criticism from LGBT+ campaigners who said, if successful, efforts to roll back rights will take the UK “back decades”.

Simon Calvert, deputy director of The Christian Institute, said it was “inappropriate for civil servants to be officially endorsing Pride”.

He added that he had been “shocked” by civil servants wearing rainbow lanyards in meetings, which he feels “gives the impression that their minds are closed” on alternative views. “It certainly does not communicate the kind of neutrality that taxpayers expect of civil servants.”