The Christian Institute has confirmed it intends to seek judicial review of endorsement by the civil service of the United Kingdom of LGBT Pride events, contending that the politicized agenda breaches the rules that require government officials to be impartial.
The institute confirmed it has notified Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald of its intention to seek judicial review of Civil Service participation in Pride events, and it also is seeking an end to the use of rainbow lanyards and “preferred pronouns” in public-facing email signatures.
“The law is clear that civil servants must maintain impartiality on controversial political issues,” explained Deputy Director of The Christian Institute Simon Calvert. “Whether one agrees with it or not, no one can deny that the LGBTQ Pride movement and its hard-line gender ideology are profoundly political.”
He noted, “Pride London, for example, attended by Whitehall-based civil servants, has even banned political parties because they don’t support its political demands, which include puberty blockers and gender self-ID.”
The action follows the recent court ruling by the High Court against Northumbria Police, a ruling that concluded participation in Pride marches breached the police operation’s impartiality requirements.
The institute has instructed Conrathe Gardner Solicitor to begin work. That organization was the same one that brought Linzi Smith’s successful battle against Northumbria.
Calvert said, “Involvement in Pride signals support for a highly contentious set of political demands. It is inappropriate for civil servants to be officially endorsing Pride.”
The nation’s Civil Service Code states that all employees are expected to carry out their roles with “integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.”
Further, “Staff must act ‘in a way that is fair, just and equitable’ and that does not ‘unjustifiably favor or discriminate against particular individuals or interests,’” the institute reported.
“I have been working in public policy for decades. I’ve been shocked by how many civil servants wear Pride lanyards in our meetings with them, even when those meetings are specifically about the clashes between LGBTQ politics and the Christian faith,” explained Calvert.
“Sitting in front of a phalanx of civil servants in rainbow lanyards gives the impression that their minds are closed on the issues we are discussing. It certainly does not communicate the kind of neutrality that taxpayers expect of civil servants.”
The earlier High Court ruling involved endorsement of the arguments brought by Newcastle United fan Linzi Smith.
The result is that the court found “Northumbria Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine and other officers’ participation in ‘Newcastle Pride in the City 2024’ was likely to be seen as an expression of support ‘for the views and the cause which the March sought to promote.’”
The court ruling found “institutional support for gender ideology and transgender rights” was further expressed by uniformed police officers marching with the “Police Pride” flag and by a static display which “included the Northumbria Police badge and the blue, pink and white of the transgender flag.”
The ruling said that could hurt the public’s trust in the police ability to “fairly” handle clashes involving the political issue.
