'Woke' council may face legal challenge to mass display of Pride flags

Progress pride flags
Progress Pride flags on display in London's Regent Street in 2023. (Photo: Getty/iStock)

Christian campaigners have criticised plans by Westminster Council to once again plaster Regent Street with gigantic Progress Pride flags.

On 22 June the current display of British Union Jack flags, which are flying to mark 80 years since VE Day, will be removed to make way for the Progress Pride flags.

The Progress Pride flag is the updated version of the Rainbow flag, featuring chevrons representing transgender people, non-whites and people with AIDs.

Christian Concern said the flags represented “a secular religious ideology” and promoted division between those who follow that ideology and those who do not. The Christian group also noted that in previous years the Pride flags have remained in place beyond their allotted time.

Christian Concern accused Westminster Council of trying to indoctrinate and confuse primary-school age children with trans ideologies, something forbidden by the Cass Review. Children visiting Hamleys toy shop will be exposed to symbols that would be “unlawful to teach and display in schools”.

Westminster Council is led by Stuart Love, who has previously said he is “proud to be called too woke” and has referred to presiding over “Wokeminster Council”.

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, Christian Concern's sister organisation, said, “Many people experience these flags as an attack on historic, traditional beliefs about sex and gender. They send the message that people holding these views – which are worthy of respect in a democratic society – are not welcome. “The majority of the public do not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride flag. At the heart of the flag is the trans flag - pink for girls, blue for boys and white for the 'transition' phase.

"This ideology has been discredited by the Cass Review, the closure of the Tavistock, and most recently Supreme Court ruling. When will the Crown estate catch up with the rest of society?"  Christian Concern added that should Westminster Council proceed with the display, as seems likely, then it will initiate a legal challenge.

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