‘Pride’ celebrations cost taxpayer £650k

More than £650,000 of public money has been spent promoting LGBT ‘Pride’ so far this financial year, it has been revealed.

According to the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA), Freedom of Information requests show that public bodies have spent £655,700 on LGBT-themed events since 6 April.

The largest spender, at £127,257, was the Greater London Authority. At least seven other local authorities have spent in excess of £20,000 of their annual budget on Pride events and LGBT-branded merchandise.

‘Pointless gimmicks’

The TPA reported that taxpayers’ money is being used to fund drag queen events, LGBT rainbow fudge, pronoun badges and carnival puppets.

Investigations Campaign Manager Joanna Marchong commented: “Public sector bodies from councils to the NHS constantly complain of financial pressures putting strain on frontline services, yet are prioritising extravagant events and paying for pointless gimmicks.”

In response to the revelations, the Local Government Association said: “It is for individual councils to make decisions about how best to invest their resources on behalf of their residents.”

An NHS spokesman claimed the money was spent so that LGBT patients “know they can come forward for the care they need”.

Stonewall funding

Earlier this year, the TPA found that fourteen per cent of Stonewall’s total income of nearly £8 million for 2022-23 came from the taxpayer.

The controversial pro-trans lobby group received over £173,000 from the Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office, while the Scottish and Welsh Governments also both donated at least £100,000 in support of Stonewall.