Anger as David Lammy hangs bisexual pride flag outside Foreign Office

The Foreign Office is flying the Bisexual Awareness Week flag, prompting fresh calls for David Lammy to rethink his priorities.

Two of the pink, purple and blue banners are displayed in the courtyard of the department's historic Grade I-listed headquarters in Westminster.

It is the only Whitehall government department building ­outwardly marking Bisexual Awareness Week.

Critics questioned why the ­ministry responsible for foreign policy and diplomacy is focusing on promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) events at a time of deepening conflict in the Middle East as well as the war in Ukraine.

The spectacle comes just a day after Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy claimed climate change was a 'more fundamental' threat than terrorism or dictators such as Vladimir Putin.

But the flags were celebrated by senior civil servants. Corin Robertson, director-general of finance and corporate at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), posted a photo of the flags on social media with the caption: 'Happy bisexuality awareness week.'

Sarah Lingard, deputy director of delivery, projects and consultancy, shared the post, adding: 'Now this is a workplace I can be proud to be myself in.'

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Kate Barker, chief executive of the LGB Alliance, challenged the FCDO to fly the flag in countries where people were persecuted for their sexuality. 

'We would love to see UK embassies proudly flying the flag in countries where people are criminalised and even murdered by the state for being same-sex attracted.'

Last night a Tory party spokesman told the Mail: 'Labour have revealed their real priorities when it comes to foreign affairs.

'In an incredibly dangerous, unstable world the first and foremost job of the Foreign Office must be standing up to those who threaten us.

'Labour ministers should be ­flying the flag for Britain abroad, not spending taxpayers' money on woke virtue-signalling.'

There are questions over whether the FCDO should have applied for planning permission from Westminster City Council, as the bisexual pride flag is not on a list of those that can be flown without consent.

The FCDO declined to say if it had done so, but a spokesman said: 'The FCDO stands for inclusivity, diversity and acceptance, both at home and abroad.

'We ­celebrate the diversity of our staff throughout the year.'

Why banners are hoisted? 

September has been designated by activists as the month where bisexuality is celebrated.

The tradition began 25 years ago when the inaugural 'celebrate bisexuality day' took place on September 23, 1999.

Delegates at the ILGA World Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, passed a resolution calling on people to 'apply the same respect, recognition and rights to bisexual peoples as they do to any other group of people in society'.

It started to be acknowledged by authorities in the US over the following years then in 2013 the UK Government joined in with Jo Swinson, equalities minister under the coalition government, issuing a statement in support of Bi Visibility Day.

The following year an American group declared the preceding days to be Bi Awareness Week - and in 2019 it was extended still further to become Bi Visibility Month.

According to the website bi.org, the first expansion happened because originally 'every bi group around the world held big events at the same time on what was often a weekday' and the second because 'nobody could completely agree on when that week began and ended'.

This year the Civil Service LGBT+ Network is holding a Bi+ Visibility Day Panel Event on Bi+ Visibility Day.

An online invitation states: 'We will explore the history of the Bi+ community, myth-busting and awareness-raising about Bisexual, Pansexual and Asexual experiences, including personal stories. There will be an opportunity for Q&A and sharing your own experiences in a safe space.'