Labour-run council faces legal action over trans pedestrian crossing
Camden council installed the painted blue, pink and white crossings nearly four years ago in Bloomsbury in a bid to 'help celebrate transgender awareness ' and to act 'as a reminder of the rich LGBT+ history in Camden.'
But Camden resident Blessing Olubanjo is now threatening to bring a legal challenge to have the four crossings at Tavistock Place and Marchmont Street removed or redesigned, because she claims it 'constitutes unlawful political messaging.'
The 57-year-old claims the installations, which cost £10,464 in taxpayers' money, constitute a violation of political neutrality laws under the Local Government Act 1986, as well as an infringement of freedom of belief and expression under the Human Rights Act 1998.
The NHS administrator, who is an Evangelical Christian, told The Telegraph: 'I brought this case because I believe in fairness, freedom of belief, and the proper role of public institutions.
'As a Christian and a taxpayer, I should not be made to feel excluded or marginalised by political symbols in public spaces.
'This crossing sends a message that only one viewpoint is welcome, and that's not right in a truly democratic society.
'I'm standing up not just for myself, but for everyone who feels silenced or sidelined by discredited, harmful activism forced on the public by ideologically captured local authorities.'
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, who is supporting Ms Olubanjo, added: 'Not only is this crossing a matter of public safety and Christian freedom, it's about the misuse of public resources for political campaigning.
'The crossing is a visual endorsement of a contested ideology, installed by a public authority in breach of its legal duties.
'This is not the role of local government. Public spaces should be able to be used by everyone, not to advance divisive agendas that alienate people of faith and those who hold to biological reality.
'The Council needs to remove or redesign the crossing and apologise to its residents and local businesses.'
At the time the plans were announced in Autumn 2021, the Royal National Institute for the Blind also told the council that colourful designs at crossings could cause confusion to the blind and pose safety risks to those with poor vision trying to cross the busy street.
Transport for London's Independent Disability Advisory Group also said people with learning disabilities or dementia may struggle to identify the crossing.
They also warned that people with sensory sensitivity could struggle with colourful crossings, which could cause anxiety, especially for people on the autistic spectrum.
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at human rights charity Sex Matters, said there was no 'conceivable justification' for the crossings to be in place after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex.'
The women's rights campaigner added to The Telegraph: 'The trans flag crossings in Camden are not only a safety issue for the blind, disabled and elderly, but a costly exercise in celebrating a flag that represents unforgivable medical harms done to gender-distressed children in the name of 'progress'.'
The crossing is also located in the same borough as the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, which ran the UK's only gender identity development service for children. The youth gender clinic at the Tavistock and Portman centre closed early last year, ahead of plans to open regional hubs across England and Wales as part of recommendations made in the Cass Report.
However, the council has insisted that the crossing had no relation to the gender clinic.
Camden Council said they reject the claims in Ms Olubanjo's legal letter.
A spokesman added: 'Camden is 'no place for hate' and we have a strong and continuing history of respect and support for everyone in our borough. We fight discrimination in all its forms, and this includes being an ally to our trans residents.
'These crossings are a visual statement to help celebrate transgender awareness and act as a reminder of the rich LGBTQ+ history and daily life in the Bloomsbury area and across Camden.'
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