Pride flag moved after Christian bookshop complaint

A council in Derbyshire has removed a Pride flag following a complaint from a Christian bookshop.

Matlock Town Council said it had received communication that the rainbow flag could be "forcibly removed" from outside Cornerstone Christian Bookshop in Dale Road, so action was taken to relocate the the flag to another central location to avoid confrontation or damage.

The council said the decision was "purely from a health and safety standpoint" and it stood in "full support of the LGBTQIA+ community".

In a statement, the trustees of the bookshop said they were happy to fly flags but declined to fly the Pride flag as a "matter of conscience and in keeping with our faith and scriptures".

Last year, the council needed to replace a number of flags and approved a budget to add Derbyshire and Pride flags to complement the existing union jacks flown in the town.

The town's mayor, Marilyn Franks, told the BBC the idea was to make the town centre more colourful and welcoming to visitors.

The various flags were put up randomly above shop fronts but the Christian bookshop, which has been open since 1994, complained.

The council's decision to move the flag prompted criticism on social media.

However deputy mayor Ashley Orwin, who is gay, said the complaint and the flag's removal had supercharged support for the town's first Pride event, which is taking place in June next year.

"This has actually sparked a really positive response because it has shown how inclusive and accepting the community is," Orwin said.

"There's been a moment of complaint and it spiralled into a bit of a social media thing. But the resounding thing from it is people support and love our community.

"As a gay man in public office, this has only been a positive thing... this has sparked our first Pride [event] in the Peaks in Matlock that's going to happen next year."

In a statement, town council leaders said they "deeply regret" any upset the removal might have caused.

"The move was made without malice or prejudice, and we sincerely apologise to any individuals or groups who were hurt by this decision," the statement said.

"We recognise how symbolic the flag is, especially during Pride Month, and we acknowledge the impact this action had, regardless of intent."

Katie Abey, who runs a shop next door, said she was initially confused as to where the flag had gone.

She added people were due to come down and draw rainbow colours on the cobblestone outside of her shop in chalk over the weekend.

"We were a bit saddened and disappointed that those sort of views are held that strongly," she said.

"But it's been really nice that it's pulled people together in such a brilliant way.

"It was nice for the council to include the Pride flags amongst the St George and the Derbyshire flag... it's quite validating as a queer person to see the Pride flag being included, especially in Pride month."

Lisa Clements, who runs a tea room near the bookshop, said she was saddened by the flag's removal.

"When the rainbow flag went up we were really pleased. It just showed inclusivity for the whole of the town and I was very shocked to see it had disappeared," she said.

"It's really sad what's happened and that we can't just live together in perfect harmony regardless.

"Yes, it's June and it's Pride month but that shouldn't make any difference because it should be about inclusivity for everybody.

"It's just a flag but it's about what it represents."

In a joint statement, the store's trustees said: "The bookshop is an inclusive organisation that wants to share the Christian faith with everyone and we do not want to advocate or condemn anyone on the basis of their belief or sexual orientation.

"As a Christian bookshop we would have been delighted to have flown the Derbyshire flag, the flag of St George or the union flag.

"Unfortunately, due to lack of initial consultation on the matter, we had to decline to fly the flag allocated to our shop, as a matter of conscience and in keeping with our faith and scriptures.

"Many of the other faith communities in Britain would also have declined to fly this flag. Fortunately, we are blessed in this country with freedom of conscience and freedom of religion legislation, enshrined in the Equality Act of 2010 which allows religion or belief as a protected characteristic.

"We are therefore very grateful for the speedy removal of this flag when we raised our concern to the council."

Alan Graves, leader of Reform UK-controlled Derbyshire County Council, said he sympathised with the bookshop.

He added residents recently elected his party to lead the authority in part because they agreed with the sentiment that "only traditional flags" like the union jack should be flown outside council buildings.