Mrs Martin represents the Christian Peoples’ Alliance in Lewisham East. Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, she started a legal action and warned the council that they would get the High Court involved. Her lawyers stated that the council had not requested planning permission to display the flag. The standard Pride flag, that is, the Progressive Pride flag – including colours of light blue, pink and white, which symbolise traditional gender identities and those transitioning or identifying as gender-neutral or intersex – requires special permission to be displayed. 

Lawyers of the Christian Legal Centre emphasised that individuals promoted by the flag are not recognised and protected by UK law. They drew attention to the Local Government Act 1986, which prohibits local authorities from issuing material that acts in favour of a political party. They requested that the flags be removed and not exhibited during future elections. They also stressed that councils should refrain from endorsing trans ideologies represented by the flag.

Christian Concern has warned that other UK councils—for instance, Reading and Bournemouth—have also displayed the flag without acquiring the necessary permits. 

Mrs Martin expressed her concerns about the popularity of these flags and how they negatively influence young people: “Greater awareness must be urgently raised about what these flags stand for, and public authorities flying them must be brought to account.” She had been dismissed from her previous job at the housing association L&Q when she advocated that marriage should be between a man and a woman. She appealed against the dismissal and was awarded a large sum for unfair dismissal.

Chief Executive of Christian Concern, Andrea Williams, stated: “These flags shouldn’t dominate our town centres and neighbourhoods. They are intimidating and exclusionary towards Christians and others who oppose the pride ideology.”

In May, over 30,000 people signed a petition to stop displaying Progress Pride in the Westminster City Council’s jurisdiction as an initiative to counter-affect pride and trans ideology. 

Source: https://www.christianpost.com/