Opinion in a quaint English town has split over the display and positioning of ‘Progress Pride’ flags around its high street. The story became national news on Friday, June 20th, when it became apparent that the local council’s handling of the new policy was turning into a public relations disaster.
In a first for Matlock, Derbyshire, the amended (“LGBTQI+”) rainbow flags were installed along the main thoroughfare in the Peak District spa town. Cornerstone Bookshop, which specialises in Christian books, requested that the flag directly outside their premises be removed, stating its owners did not wish to “promote homosexuality.”
The town council complied with the request secretly, apparently angering LGBT activists over the cave-in. Council clerk Simon Hosmer said
We removed the flag due to a strong belief someone would put themselves in danger by removing it themselves.
While council representatives went off on a health and safety deep-dive, Judy Crook from the bookshop doubled down, stating that as
a point of basic Christian belief, we welcome everybody [but] we’re not happy with the gay rights situation.
Matlock town council’s hamfisted first attempts at celebrating Pride Month now appear shifty and opportunistic, compared to the principled position of some local Christians.
