I’m not sure it was the wisest idea to put the rainbows on the vehicles in the first place. Is someone panicking, with visual or cognitive impairment, at night, going to instantly recognise it?
I’ve seen loads of police vans like this. It’s only part of the van and they’re just as recognisable as before IMO.
A sticker isn’t going to hide a full on cop car. Like imagine you’re in an emergency, you see a black and white car that has all the markings of a cop car, but it has a rainbow sticker, are you going to ignore it because of a 2x3 sticker?
Your point is stupid and invalid.
Well, seeing as police vehicles aren’t black and white……
And if you took a look at the picture, it replaces the battenberg on the back half of the van, with a logo that highlights the letters BT, so it looks a bit like a telecoms van.
Police vehicles are almost exclusively black and white.
A police force has agreed to remove all Pride rainbows and transgender livery from its vehicles following a landmark High Court ruling.
Northumbria Police has also told its officers and staff they cannot attend a Gay Pride march in uniform this weekend, in a move that could set a precedent for other forces.
Northumbria was taken to court by a gender-critical lesbian who said it was wrong for officers to take part in events that promoted gender ideology.
The move comes after Linzi Smith, 34, a gender-critical lesbian from Newcastle, brought a case against Northumbria Constabulary, arguing that it had been wrong to allow uniformed officers to actively participate in an event that promoted gender ideology and was supported by transgender activists.
In his ruling, the judge, Mr Justice Linden, said it was important that police forces were not perceived as taking sides in contentious social debates.
Ffs. Police officers want to support a gay pride event, and a Lesbian woman became so offended by that she raised a court case against them. One that I cannot believe was upheld.
And as for the judge saying police attending means they’re “choosing sides”… fucking hell. It’s a Pride event. The “sides” are the LGBT community and those that hate them. It is an offence under the Equality Act 2010 to discriminate against LGBT people, so the police very much should be on one side, and they broadly were.
What the hell was this judge thinking? Why are TERFs so emboldened here?
Imagine telling someone this a few decades ago:
“Yeah the police want to support a LGBT pride event and…”
“Wait they what? They want to support it? Not shut it down?”
“…yeah, support and attend. Anyway the court ruled against it.”
“Lobbying and moral panic from anti-LGBT clergymen, I suppose?”
“Nah, a small group of lesbians.”
You can’t make this shit up. Imagine hating trans people so much that you’re willing to turn against the whole LGBT Pride movement, while being in a same sex relationship. The mind reels.
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What are you babbling about?
Pride is about capitalism. Nothing more.
WAH! I’m LGBT, you have to do as I say else you’re discriminating against me and that’s like, illegal and stuff, and I’ll use the police as my personal army against you to get revenge.
Is everything okay at home?
There’s the projection. This has nothing to do with trans people. Twisting unrelated actions to be another thing is typical of schizophrenia and/or psychosis.
Slice of life from inside the glass house apparently. Put the stone down please.
Your post history has some very typical LLM-generated red flags. Just sayin’!
I gave you the “transphobe asshole” tag. Is that what other LLMs would do too?
I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.
Is it because I’m multilingual and you can’t wrap your head around that concept? Just askin’!
The “sides” are the LGBT community and those that hate them.
This is wrong. The person who took Northumbria Police to court was a lesbian and hence a member of the LGBT community. It doesn’t make sense for the “sides” to include the LGBT community.
You’re conflating the gender supporting (as oppose to gender critical) community and the LGBT community.
You’ll never guess what the ‘T’ in LGBT stands for…
This person is absolutely standing against the LGBT community. She is actively seeking to drive a wedge between LGBT communities and the police, making the entire community less safe in the process, as well as trying to divide people in regards to LGBT issues.
She will happily cut off her nose to spite her face, if it means harming trans people.
And being part of a community doesn’t make you immune from being against the community. There’s plenty of anti-immigration immigrants, there’s homophobic/transphobic/biphobic people in the LGBT community, there were people from colonies who saw their own colonies as barbaric and welcomed white masters, there were Jews in Germany who hated Jews and happily supported Nazis, there are working class people who are disdainful of working class culture.
You’ll never guess what the ‘T’ in LGBT stands for…
You’ll never guess what the ‘L’ in LGBT stands for…
She is actively seeking to drive a wedge between LGBT communities and the police
I don’t see how you can come to that conclusion given the article. You seem to be jumping to conclusions.
as well as trying to divide people in regards to LGBT issues
Again, I don’t see how you can come to that conclusion about her goals. The fact that she simply has a different opinion to others doesn’t imply a goal of dividing people. Dividing people may be a conseqeunce of her actions but that doesn’t imply it’s her goal.
She will happily cut off her nose to spite her face, if it means harming trans people.
Again, this is jumping to conclusions.
And being part of a community doesn’t make you immune from being against the community. … there’s homophobic/transphobic/biphobic people in the LGBT community
True but that doesn’t mean any particular person who is critical of one section of the community is necessarily against the whole community, that doesn’t follow.
there were Jews in Germany who hated Jews and happily supported Nazis
Firstly wow that took no time at all https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin’s_law
Secondly, this is a false equivalence. Every example you’ve given is of a member of a community being against the whole community but in the case we’re discussing, a member of a community is critical of only part of the community, not the whole community. And critically, it’s a part of the community that they’re not a member of.
You’ll never guess what the ‘L’ in LGBT stands for…
It stands for Lesbian. What is your point?
I’m not the one going against the LGBT community, she is.
I don’t see how you can come to that conclusion given the article.
Did you read it?
Again, I don’t see how you can come to that conclusion about her goals.
??? She doesn’t think Trans people, a part of the LGBT community, exist.
Again, this is jumping to conclusions.
It really isn’t.
True but that doesn’t mean any particular person who is critical of one section of the community is necessarily against the whole community, that doesn’t follow.
It absolutely follows. If you are against Trans people, you are against LGBT.
Firstly wow that took no time at all https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin’s_law
I’m well aware of what Godwin’s law is. What’s your point, exactly? It’s relevant.
Do you deny that there were Jews in Germany who hated the Jewish community? Yes or no?
Did you read it?
Yes. Did you?
She doesn’t think Trans people, a part of the LGBT community, exist.
The article makes no mention of whether she views trans people as existing. Again, you’re jumping to conclusions. And to be frank, you’re being ridiculous.
Do you deny that there were Jews in Germany who hated the Jewish community? Yes or no?
Do you deny you’re behaving like a psychotic moron?.
You’re the psychotic, transphobic moron.
Nobody cares about you or your stupid cunty opinions.
Here we go again. Having a hard day? Wanna talk about it?
Again, your post history has some very typical LLM-generated flags. Just sayin’!
Firstly wow that took no time at all https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin’s_law
Bravo! This always makes me laugh!
“You’ll never guess what the ‘L’ in LGBT stands for…”
Hate to burst your bubble but Lesbians are actually more supportive of transgender people than any other cisgender demographic.
Hate to burst your bubble but Lesbians are actually more supportive of transgender people than any other cisgender demographic.
Hate to burst your bubble but homophobes are actually more supportive of transgender people than any other cisgender demographic.
I too can make up pretend facts.
Simple Google search: https://share.google/FkVO7pkw4lj7F25B6
I don’t understand why this is downvoted so much. This is the correct response.
Oh noes, here’s an opinion that my psychiatrist wouldn’t say to my face, therefore it should be downvoted.
From the article:
The move comes after Linzi Smith, 34, a gender-critical lesbian from Newcastle, brought a case against Northumbria Constabulary, arguing that it had been wrong to allow uniformed officers to actively participate in an event that promoted gender ideology and was supported by transgender activists.
People who filled out the 2021 census in England and Wales were asked: “Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?” According to the ONS, 262,000 people - around 0.5% of the population - answered “no”.
The ONS states that there are 60,238,000 total people in England and Wales.
Gender critical people, almost always cis women, can go to hell. They go out of their way to try (and lately succeed) to suppress any support for trans people and to exclude trans women from any space that is oriented for women. They fear monger, calling us perverts and degenerates that want to prey on poor, defenseless, innocent women.
Anyone who advocates for the disenfranchisement of trans people is an objectively shit person. We just want to live our lives and not be singled out for discrimination.
poor, defenseless, innocent women
Not doing yourself any favours with this kind of sarcastic comment.
Anyone who advocates for the disenfranchisement of trans people
I’ve never seen anybody argue that trans people should be denied the right to vote. Including in this article.
There are actually more transphobic men than women but the “movement” fronts cis women so they can pull the “muh oppressed” line.
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It’s honestly getting depressing here in the UK the vast majority of people are good honest open minded people, but for some reason single bigoted people keep being allowed to make the place worse in the name of ‘free speech’ the results going to be the police staying away to be impartial and a bunch of reform voting trogladites causing trouble in the name of free speech.
Never mind the comments here on Lemmy, but you really need a hazmat suit to enter the comments on that article. Over 1400 of them, each somehow a different type of phobic. Living up to the nickname “TERF Island”.
This is the Torygraph, don’t read the comments unless you want to do psyc damage to yourself.
nothing pride related should be near anything pig related. pigs are not and have never been friends to lgbtq people. they’re literally the arm the state uses to brutalize them for asking for equal rights.
while its a brutal reality why they’re removing their fake support of pride from their vehicles, its the same reality as before except now they’re not pretending to care. this is better because it doesnt give the naive an illusion or boot lickers an argument
In the past, yes, certainly. And I’m of the view ACAB. However, the Equality Act passed years ago, LGBTQ people are legally not to be discriminated against. The police showing support is therefore a good thing. It solidifies their commitment to uphold this law and treat LGBTQ people as equals in a country that still has a discrimination problem amongst the populace. It reminds both bigots and police officers which side police forces are now on and that there will be consequences for acts of discrimination.
To push them away will not help the cause.
These rights took decades, many people fighting tirelessly, and sadly many deaths and injuries to achieve. Why would you want to throw all that away? Just because you dislike cops? They’re finally on the right side with this. Yes, they’re twats for a myriad of reasons, but in this regard they’re in the right. This is very important support to have, because there are people in society who are doing what they can to overturn this progress. The cops being on side helps prevent that.
Also, remember, that just because something is illegal doesn’t mean that law will be enforced. Police forces have previously chosen to decriminalise things like personal amounts of cannabis by just refusing to bother enforcing it. It’s still illegal but if no cop arrests you, is it really? They could do the same with regard to the Equality Act if they choose, decriminalising discrimination again. It’s harder for them to justify doing that if their vans are covered in Pride livery. It’s harder for individual officers to tolerate discrimination if they have a personal positive view of LGBTQ people.
This isn’t America, Peelian principles are still at least vaguely adhered to. Community policing is still a thing here.
Unless the pride related thing is people throwing bricks.
As always, fuck you, UK
Instantly jumping to xenophobia over one seemingly bigoted judge seems a bit far. I doubt bigotry is unheard of wherever you’re from.
E: Germany. Good thing there’s no bigotry to be found there.
I am actually from there, but was able to fuck off to mainland EU shortly before Brexit. So there’ that…
Your post history says you aren’t. Interesting.
Because I grew up in NI for a while (part of the UK) but have been living in Germany for more than half my life since.
this is not what xenophobia is. thread starter is out of pocket, but the problem isn’t xenophobia. xenophobia would be if the thread starter said “every brit is a terf.” the thread starter did appropriately lay the blame at the feet of the imperial state, the UK. i take issue with “always” if you are approaching a situation with the attitude of something is always, you are giving up on the possibility of fixing it.
No, they clearly aren’t talking about this ruling or this judge, they are talking about the UK as a whole.
As always, fuck you, UK.
Have a look through their comments and they seem to say it a lot/complain about Brits a fair bit. It’s clearly directed at the UK as a whole, not this Judge Linden guy, or the High Court.
That’s because it is the UK [government] as a whole!
High court != Government.
The government aren’t making any attempt to change the law and have instead tolerated or even promoted transphobia in their party and have used the Cass Report as a pretext to ban puberty blockers, forcing transgender teens to obtain HRT from the grey market.
So link that, not the high court ruling.
My oh my, some people are stupid.
(I’m referring to you when I say that).
Has the UK tried not treating trans people like shit?
Here’s the article again.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/18/pride-rainbows-removed-police-cars-court-ruling/
Northumbria was taken to court by a gender-critical lesbian who said it was wrong for officers to take part in events that promoted gender ideology
Maybe try reading? Just a thought…
I’m not sure what point you feel you’ve made?
The real gender ideology are traditional gender roles and the notion that gender is determined by sex.
Nah, still fuck the U.K.
👍 ok friend.
UK turning into Airstrip One at record speed.
Fuck the UK, you should be doing the opposite.
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its almost like the police needs to be neutral.
Are you fucking dense?
do you know what your saying.
Yes: The police should support human rights. It’s pretty plain and simple.
Yes, we can’t have state institutions voicing support for a vulnerable demographic’s right to exist. We could risk that bigots would not feel welcome.
so you want the police to have preferences for specific groups you like. so what happens when they do this with groups you don’t like. if you don’t get why state institutions need to be neutral and treat every body the same your fucking moron.
You’re absolutely right. Like, the police shouldn’t have anything to do with supporting rape victims, because that might upset rapists. And the police shouldn’t have campaigns supporting the families of murder victims, because that might offend the murderers. And, most of all, the police shouldn’t be showing solidarity with any social demographic whatsoever, for the blindingly obivous reason that to do so might challenge the people who want to see that demographic exterminated. So obvious!
You utter fucking slab.
ah yes rape and murder are political .what pro rape and murder political groups are there in the uk? good on you to conflate murder and rape with some political ideology because that’s what the LGBT are now an ideology. not just something you do. i really see why you are the one that gets the use insults you dopie fuck.
no the police should not be showing solidarity with any social demographic group whatsoever. they should not even have the slightest look of preferring one group over the other because there the fucking police.
So protecting demographics from hate crimes is out of the question? How do you propose thru do that without showing solidarity?
are you really this dense they should do there job. you are only for this because you like this personally but once they stop promoting shit you personally don’t like you are going to be against this really fucking fast once they do this for groups you dislike. and this shows that the police should not be in the business of showing solidarity or anything else with nobody. they should do there job equally for everybody. they should not be advertisements for any group. this is the whole reason the concept of why justice should be blind even exists.
This entire site is so fucking pathetic. The two of you are arguing over fucking pride flags on police cars. Both of you need to grow up.
if you believe the police are “neutral” then you are either genuinely one of the most ignorant people alive or you know you’re full of shit and you like how they’re biased
they should strive to be neutral they should enforce the law equally for everybody because they represent state power if you don’t get that your a moron. because you know very well if they would be doing this for groups you dislike you would be supporting this and that alone shows that the police should never be overtly supporting one group.
baby’s first thoughts about the pigs are of no interest to me. drown in your own piss dipshit.
The police need to be at pride to protect people from hate crimes you moron.
this was about the shit on there vehicles moron. why are you even talking when you don’t even know basic shit.
And you don’t think this ruling will deter them from attending pride? Which they would have to do to protect people there? Simply doing so could be read as a “political act”.
you are being very disingenuous this only has to do with what they put on there cars. the only thing on a police car should be police. i did notice that you totally ignored when i said that you would be totally against this if they would be punting something on there car of a group you dislike and you would have no argument against it clearly.
Rulings don’t happen in isolation. They have knock on effects on other things. Here in the UK, we have race riots, book bans and the country with the most cultural influence on us is turning into the new Nazi Germany. This ruling occurs in that context.
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A very US-brained comment.
I’ve attended multiple pride events/marches and I’ve been very glad of police presence. Every year there’s at least one bigot who tries to start a fight with someone on a march, and the police quickly put an end to it.
A couple of years ago a man started shouting slurs then ran to attack another man immediately ahead of me (who had shouted back at the guy hurling abuse). A policeman appeared seemingly out of nowhere, sprinting, slide-tackling, then cuffing the aggressor, all before he could even land a punch on someone.
Do you want to get rid of that protection? Would you rather it be a free-for-all where homophobes can attend and attack with impunity? Would you rather the attendee have been assaulted?
Even aside from that, it is extremely stupid to want to drive a wedge between police and LGBT people. That will just make LGBT people less likely to seek help from police if they’ve been the victim of something, and further emboldens bigots in attacking LGBT people. Why wouldn’t you, if you knew they’d never go to the police about it?
We are not the USA. Our police forces are not US police forces. The UK has many problems, but we are fortunate in having a relatively progressive, left-leaning police force (probably due to how much the Tories fucked them over with cuts).
Left leaning police is an oxymoron
It really isn’t.
Police in the UK are generally not right wing. Why would they support people who hate them, slash their numbers, slash their funding, and gave them pay stagnation?
The UK police is not like the US police where Republicans are clearly allied with them.
US brain has hit you hard.
Your proof of the police being right wing is that they arrest people for supporting terrorist groups, or breaking into an airport and blocking runways? Christ on a bike…
British police aren’t right wing. Why the fuck do you think they want to attend Pride events, FFS?
Why do you hate LGBT people so much?
British police aren’t right wing.
LOL
Lol, you are a reactionary piece of shit.
Police go to pride because the neoliberal elite has deemed it profitable. A couple of decades ago they called them terrorist, the same way you do with environment and pro palestine activists.
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I’m a trans person from the UK
I never said you were from the US, I said you made a US-brained comment. Much of our politics, culture, and political discourse is influenced by the US, they’re undeniably an influential country.
my experience…
Then your experience is very, very different to mine.
I think you are gravely mistaken if you think you’d be safer with no police. There is no shortage of people that want to attack LGBT people. If you think they’d leave you alone, think again. Knowing that there’s no police to assist would only embolden them.
Do you think the police that voluntarily attended Pride/put Pride decals on their vehicles and uniforms are out to get you? Do you think that the TERF who raised this case is actually a hero fighting the good fight?
I think you are gravely mistaken if you think you’d be safer with no police. There is no shortage of people that want to attack LGBT people. If you think they’d leave you alone, think again. Knowing that there’s no police to assist would only embolden them.
https://bradshawadvisory.com/insights/violent-crime-victims-by-gender-fdh3t
There are more male murder victims than females. The above does not distinguish between trans/non-trans. Sadly, around 30% are with no suspect charged.A
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