A CABINET member of Warwickshire County Council’s Reform UK administration has been accused of ‘hate speech’ for claiming the LGBTQ+ Pride movement has been “hijacked by groomers and mentally ill men in dresses”.
Coun Wayne Briggs, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, Education and SEND, made the claims in an email to Coun Dale Keeling, which was leaked to Warwickshire Pride from an anonymous source.
In the email, Coun Briggs criticised Conservative council chairman Coun Keeling’s decision to allow the Pride flag to fly from WCC’s headquarters during June’s Pride Month.
Coun Briggs said in the email: “I’m all for live and let live, but this movement has been hijacked by groomers and mentally ill men in dresses gyrating in front of children and pushing a delusion that you can somehow change from male to female and vice versa if you’re unhappy with your own body. This is a dangerous ideology.
“We can see the degradation of society before our eyes and I believe it is our duty to promote the ‘nuclear family’ and all the benefits that brings to children, their parents and wider society.”
A spokesperson for Warwickshire Pride accused Coun Briggs of hate speech.
They said: “From a sitting councillor, this is completely unacceptable, a clear breach of the code of conduct and principles of public life, and a hate crime that must be dealt with.
“We call on Coun Briggs to apologise and resign from his position. He has demonstrated why he is unfit for the role he currently holds.
“We continue to stand with trans people and the wider LGBTQ+ population. We stand against anyone who holds hateful views about the communities we serve.”
Warwickshire Pride has submitted a code of conduct complaint to WCC, reported Coun Briggs to Warwickshire Police, and submitted a freedom of information request to the council for all emails relating to the matter from Reform councillors.
WCC’s Liberal Democrat Group called for Coun Briggs to be removed from his cabinet role.
Group leader Coun Sarah Boad said: “This language is vile and dehumanising, and it has no place in public life, let alone from the councillor charged with protecting our children.
“When the Portfolio Holder responsible for their care decides one kind of family is the only model worth promoting and the rest are symptoms of a society in decline, every child who falls outside that ideal is being told they are second best by the very person meant to look after them.
“Residents are entitled to ask plainly whether a councillor who holds these views can make fair and impartial decisions for every child and family in the county. They deserve confidence that all of those children are served by someone who sees their worth without reservation, and Coun Briggs has forfeited it.
“While he holds these views about the very communities his portfolio exists to serve, his position is untenable.
“Every resident of Warwickshire deserves a council that protects them, whoever they are, whoever they love, and whatever their family looks like. The Liberal Democrats will always stand up for every resident, including trans people and the wider LGBTQ+ communities”.
Speaking on behalf of WCC’s Green Party Group, Coun Nicki Scott condemned Coun Briggs’ ‘baseless allegations’.
She said: “Coun Briggs is fundamentally misunderstanding what the Pride Flag is about.
“It’s about people being able to love who they want to love in ways that don’t cause harm to others. And about living in a free society where people are judged on their character rather than sexuality and identity. It’s not about ‘destroying the nuclear family’ or anything else.
“Listening to the stories of other people’s lives can be part of a powerful process. If Coun Briggs is ready to listen, I am happy to help facilitate him meeting people from the LGBTQ+ community to hear their stories and experience in a respectful environment out of the public glare.
Coun Briggs said he would not be offering an apology.
He said: “That email was not a statement issued by Warwickshire County Council, nor was it an agreed statement made by the administration or in my capacity as a portfolio holder. It was a private email expressing my personal views.
“I stand by the concerns I raised. I believe there are serious and legitimate questions about political neutrality in council buildings and the importance of protecting children and maintaining parental confidence.
“I fully accept that if I were speaking publicly as a portfolio holder or issuing a formal statement on behalf of the council, I would use different language.
“My concern is not about denying services to anyone or treating any resident unfairly. It is about the promotion of gender reassignment, particularly in council spaces and services used by families.
“I will cooperate fully with any process that may arise from any complaints that are submitted and will not be commenting further.”
Council leader Coun George Finch said Coun Briggs would not be removed from his role.
He added: “Coun Briggs was expressing a personal view in private correspondence. He is a hardworking councillor who cares deeply about children and families across Warwickshire.
“Our councillors are real people who speak plainly and wear their hearts on their sleeves.
“Cabinet positions will not be determined by online pressure or trial by social media.”
