A Christian group has launched a legal case to stop civil servants wearing LGBT rainbow lanyards, adding preferred pronouns to public-facing emails, or officially taking part in Pride parades.
The Christian Institute says such actions are a breach of the Civil Service rules on impartiality, and has written to the Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald informing him of their intention to seek judicial review.
The Civil Service Code says staff should not act in a way which favours particular political movements. In May 2024, updated government guidance warned against showing support for ‘partisan, political or contested’ causes while at work.
The Christian Institute legal action, which will affect civil servants in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, follows a recent High Court win against Northumbria Police by Linzi Smith, a gender-critical activist.
