West Midlands Ambulance Service Withdraws from Birmingham Pride Parade

West Midlands Ambulance Service has withdrawn from the Birmingham Pride parade scheduled for May 23 and 24. The service said it took legal advice before notifying organizers of the decision. A spokesman stated that staff participating in uniform would create a reasonable perception that the service actively supports specific views, which would be contrary to the protected beliefs of some people.

The service also noted that police and fire services have withdrawn from the same event.

The withdrawal follows a court ruling issued on Wednesday in a case involving Northumbria Police. Mr Justice Linden found that uniformed officers' participation in last year's Newcastle Pride event was unlawful. Linzi Smith, who describes herself as a gender critical lesbian, brought the legal action.

She argued that officers associating themselves with the event's views on transgender rights breached impartiality rules. The judge said those who opposed the event's position on transgender rights were not welcome at the event, and that uniformed participation demonstrated support for the cause.

The ruling left it to Northumbria Police to decide its approach to this year's event.

LGBT+ workplace group, the Proud Network, said it was disappointed with the decision but understood the reasoning. The service said it remains supportive of staff from the LGBTQ+ community and will continue to support participation in other events that meet the public sector equality duty.

An anonymous member of staff told the BBC that the decision had left colleagues feeling isolated and unsupported. The service said it will keep the decision under review for future years. Birmingham Pride dates back to 1973 and is the largest two-day gay pride festival in the region.