Councillor says she doesn't want 'Pride sex flags' in high streets

Essex Tory Councillor, 81, suspended for saying she doesn’t want ‘Pride sex flags’ in high streets insists people are ‘sick of this insistence of flaunting sexuality in public’

  • Angela Kilmartin, 81, has been suspended for 21 days, pending an investigation
  • The Facebook post followed a man offering pride flags to businesses in Witham
  • She wrote that ‘sex is for the bedroom’ not ‘for displaying ‘preferences in public’

A Tory Councillor has been suspended for saying she does not want ‘Pride sex flags’ in the local high streets and insists people are ‘sick of this insistence of flaunting sexuality in public’.

Angela Kilmartin, a councillor on Braintree District Council in Essex, has been suspended after writing on Facebook she does not want ‘Pride sex flags along’ her high street in Witham. 

She said: ‘I don’t want Pride sex flags along my high street. I don’t even want heterosexual flags along my high street.

‘Sex is for the bedroom and private life, not for displaying preferences in public.’

The 81-year-old wrote in a community group on Wednesday in response to a post from a man who had bought Pride flags for local businesses to display in shop windows.

Tory Councillor Angela Kilmartin (pictured), 81, has been suspended after writing on Facebook that she does not want ‘Pride sex flags along’ her high street in Witham, Essex

In 2020, Witham town council appointed an LGBTQ+ ambassador and a rainbow flag is flown from the town hall during Pride Month in June

The news follows as earlier this week a hair salon which displayed the rainbow pride flag had its front window egged. 

It is believed that the council Conservative group suspended her from the local Conservative group for 21 days, pending a full investigation.

Following Mrs Kilmartin’s post, town council Conservative leader, Michael Lager told the BBC: ‘We dissociate ourselves totally from the reported remarks from this particular member.

‘We do not tolerate discrimination between people of different faiths, beliefs and all the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010, that we respect and promote.’ 

In response to the post, Witham Town Council wrote on Facebook: ‘Witham Town Council has been made aware of comments that have been posted overnight by one of its elected Members. These views are not those of Witham Town Council as a corporate body and as such, we disown them.

‘The Leader of the Council, Councillor Michael Lager, said: “I was disappointed to hear of this post as Witham Town Council have policies to promote equal and fair treatment for all that have been subscribed to by all its elected Members.”‘

It is believed that the council Conservative group suspended her from the local Conservative group for 21 days, pending a full investigation

The post added: ‘We celebrate the diversity of Witham and recognise this within our own organisation in everything we do. We expect our Councillors and staff to do the same.’

In June 2020, Witham town council appointed an LGBTQ+ ambassador and a rainbow flag is flown from the town hall during Pride Month in June.

Ms Kilmartin told the BBC: ‘I stand by what I said. We didn’t even have Olympic flags up when that was happening.

She also declared that she had already decided to step down as Councillor ahead of local elections on May 4 after serving 16 years for the council.

MailOnline has contacted the Witham Constituency Conservative Association for a comment. 

Source: Read Full Article