Mayor enters Pride debate after ambulance service withdraws from event

[mrshoho]

Mayor enters Birmingham Pride debate after ambulance withdrawal - BBC News https://share.google/ACz113Oiugv6iVZ1Y

Interesting decision. Will other areas follow?

Well done West Midlands Ambulance Service, and they are right, that is the lesson of that court case.

Your title is a bit misleading.

The ambulance service has not withdrawn from covering Pride Birmingham.

Ambulance staff have been told that neutrality laws mean that they cannot attend the event in uniform and must be there out of uniform and off duty if they want to join in.

This law was clarified in a Judicial Review a while back and applies to all public services.

I think it's a very good thing and a gay acquaintance has told me that there is significant support for this and for removing public funding from Pride among gay people.

Wow that is not how it's been presented online! I first thought this was that they weren't permitted to attend in an official capacity for safety and I thought it was awful.

Thank you for posting this @mrshoho
I agree with WMAS.

What a relief it would be too if the NHS followed suit.

Have asked for the thread title to be changed to the same as the heading of the bbc article.

Wait as SJA first aiders we were never allowed to be in uniform unless on duty. It would be misleading the public and might have to do with insurance if anything goes wrong if you administered first aid but were not on actual duty just in uniform.

ambulance staff (or tbh any uniformed staff) shouldn’t be attending events in uniform if they’re off duty imo.

There are too many permutations where that causes problems if people think they’re on duty when they’re not.

It's also the posters and flags being held of these organisations whilst they're in the parade I assume. This is a positive move imo.

They have to, they are covered by the same law. It might take a challenge in court, maybe, but it is definitely not legal.

It was both. Some were of duty in uniform. Some, like the Police, were on duty, dancing at Notting Hill and at Pride marches.

Somebody challenged it in court, can't remember who, and the law was clarified and they must remain visibly neutral.

They can, and must, attend for public safety, but they have to sit/stand on the sidelines and not join in.

Are trade unions included in these impartiality laws? I bloody hope so.

Good grief, no. The NEU is gearing up to attend and spend local subs money (from predominantly unsuspecting teachers) on branded merchandise to hand out.

Oh, for pity's sake, is it Pride again? Already?? I swear it just happened last week...

Wishful thinking I know but really why do members not get a say in any of it.

Linzi Smith, supported by Fair Cop, took Northumbria Police to court and won 💪

Gender Wars: The Police must not take sides
https://www.faircop.org.uk/gender-wars-the-police-must-not-take-sides/

Sex Matters Case Briefing
https://sex-matters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Case-briefing-Lindsey-Smith-v-Northumbria-Police.pdf

Because it's the activists who put themselves forward to get selected as delegates and go to to conferences who vote on all the motions, supposedly on behalf of all the ordinary members.

I know, it's one of the reasons why I left Unison. I know there's members on the inside fighting for GC recognition but my branch was a lost cause.

"Pride is a community event. People go to celebrate who they are, to see their neighbours and feel part of something" according to Mayor Richard Parker.

But according to the 2025 Birmingham Pride director of innovation Eva Echo
"those who do not fully commit themselves to supporting and protecting" the trans community "do not have a place with us during Pride".

WMAS have got it right.

I agree with Imdunfer's friend - Pride isn't really a gay thing any more, it hasn't been for decades.
It started going wrong when it became very commercialised, and very very male.
And then the fetishes.. And then it stopped being Gay Pride. And then it became, as the Pride spokesperson said above, about supporting and protecting the trans community.
Not much about the gay community, and in some cases actually physically excluding lesbians.

There was a time when having an out police officer marching in uniform at Pride was a nine-days' wonder and an act of significance and courage - both for the force which was riddled with homophobia, and for the individual lesbian or gay officers.
Their presence meant something, when being gay in public was still potentially dangerous, so walking in the Gay Pride march took some guts.
But the context is completely different now, social attitudes are different and Pride is something else altogether.

It's a just big noisy colourful party, isn't it? People love parties, and if they want to keep having an annual shindig with lots of rainbow colours, why not?
Just stop claiming it has a worthy significance or has anything to do with what used to be Gay Pride.
No public funding, no political representatives, no organisations and bodies being formally represented. Just a party for anybody who feels like partying.

Party on dudes!🎉 Just drop the pretence that, realistically speaking, there's still a link to Lesbian and Gay pride.

Apart from Pride marches, I meant the NHS staff with rainbow lanyards while on duty, the rainbow [no longer zebra] crossing to get into the hospital, and other things I won’t say because it would be identifying.

Is this still legal?

These things are intrusive and irrelevant. In this setting it goes without saying that staff, patients, and visitors, should be respected and be respectful. Why the separate propaganda for certain people with certain so called “LGBTQIA+” characteristics? What has that got to do with anything?

I read the article. Imagine being 'outraged' with an ambulance trust. Upset, fine, disappointed, yes. Outraged though? Bit OTT (but then, when were they not?)

As long as they treat ALL their staff and patients fairly, surely that's all an ambulance service needs to do.

I absolutely agree. These things need to be phased out ASAP.

I don't know but I wish it was. The LGBTQ+ movement is frequently pretty hostile to gay and lesbian people. It is no longer a sign of acceptance and inclusivity.

I’ll reiterate the national picture mentioned earlier about activists at conference. This year at the NEU conference I believe 28% of delegates were LGBT (apparently the exec thought this was good? Personally, I don’t think it’s representative of the whole membership).
Locally, members are just not engaged in union activity - it is ‘insurance’ for legal support against false allegations etc. They don’t come to meetings so we don’t hear their opinions.

Trade unions are by definition not neutral.