Veterans have dubbed LGBT+ badge as “pointless wokeism” after the Royal British Legion started to sell a £8 poppy adorning the pride flag.
Instead of using the traditional rainbow flag, the poppy has incorporated elements of the progress flag that represents intersex, non-binary and transgender communities, in the organisation’s latest attempt to be more “inclusive”.
The Royal British Legion took to social media, posting: “Our Pride Badge symbolises support for the LGBTIQ+ community, an integral part of our Armed Forces past and present.
“It stands in solidarity with those who faced discrimination, especially under the Ban, when being gay, lesbian, or bisexual in the military was illegal.”
The Royal British Legion said that the LGBT badge seeks to represent “an integral part of our Armed Forces past and present”
Royal British Legion
However, the Legion’s attempt to include the LGBT flag has been met with an abundance of criticism from veterans and campaigners alike.
Jeff Williams, a former Royal Marine sergeant major and Falklands veteran, told The Sun: “Wearing the poppy is about remembering all those who fought irrespective of gender, race and sexuality — it is not a political gesture.”
“This is just another pointless and deeply offensive exercise in wokeism”.
Ex-Royal British Legion volunteer and GB News presenter Emma Webb labelled the LGBT+ push “atrocious” and a “complete abuse of the generous public who buy a poppy to support the Armed Forces, not radical gender ideology.”
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However, Kate Barker, from the gay rights group LGB Alliance, welcomed the move.
She said: “The Progress Pride flag represents gays and lesbians being pushed out of their own movement by proponents of gender identity ideology.”
The legion said that they consulted members of the LGBT Armed Forces community, staff network, membership branch, as well as external partners, as they made the decision to include the progress flag instead of the traditional rainbow pride flag.
They explained: “It’s widely recognised as the most inclusive symbol for sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Caroline Paige, from another LGBT group Fighting with Pride, added: “This is not disrespecting or replacing the poppy. This is about LGBTQ veterans being seen and acknowledged.”
The Royal British Legion has said that they have consulted LGBT members from the Armed Forces, staff network, membership branch, as well as external partners
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Since the backlash, the Royal British Legion briefly removed the poppy from its online store.
In response, an individual reached out to the organisation following the website’s change, saying: “Can you please explain for everyone why you have unlisted the pride poppy pin on your web store?
“I hope I don’t need to explain to you that LGBTQIA+ people are currently facing a concerted moral panic and your capitulations to that is irresponsible and dangerous.”
The store has now been updated with the pride poppy badge once again as the Legion attributed the problem to a technical error.
All of the contributions made go towards the Royal British Legion.
