Latest news with #AndreaWilliams
Metro
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Metro
Christian group threatens Westminster Council over 'indoctrinating' pride flags
A London council has been threatened with legal action after hanging trans-inclusive Pride flags around Regent Street from this weekend. Group Christian Concern says Westminster Council is 'indoctrinating' visitors to the famous West End location and breaching planning control. The Crown Estate, which owns most of the property on Regent Street, lodged plans in March to hoist hundreds of flags in 20 locations between mid-June and mid-July to support Pride events. But after being permitted by Westminster Council in mid-May, Christian Concern says the council is opening itself up to potential legal action. In recent years, the display has included over 300 LGBTQI+ Progress Pride flags, developed in 2018 by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar. Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive society, celebrating trans, black and brown, gender non-binary and intersex community members. But hardline Christians say the flags, which on June 22 will replace Union Jacks currently flying to mark VE Day, create division by excluding more traditional views. Christian Concern has previously made the point to the council that the Cass Review prohibits the indoctrination and confusion of primary school children with trans ideologies. But the group claims: 'The flags do just that, exposing the hundreds of thousands of children who walk up and down Regent Street, including those who visit Hamleys, to a message and symbols which will be unlawful to teach and display in schools.' Last year, Christian Concern launched a petition signed by 31,000 people calling for a similar display to be stopped. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: 'Many people experience these flags as an attack on historic, traditional beliefs about sex and gender. 'They send the message that people holding these views, which are worthy of respect in a democratic society, are not welcome. 'The majority of the public does not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride Flag. At the heart of the flag is the trans flag – pink for girls, blue for boys and white for the 'transition' phase. 'This ideology has been discredited by the Cass Review, the closure of the Tavistock, and most recently Supreme Court ruling. When will the Crown estate catch up with the rest of society? 'If the council chooses to proceed with the display, we will have no option but to pursue legal action.' The proposed flags will be hung from supporting wires, making use of existing fixing points which are intended for reuse. In the planning report, Westminster planning officer Shaun Retzback noted that the flags would be hung at 20 locations along the street running from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly from June 22 until July 17. He said: 'Flags are, in principle, an acceptable, colourful addition to Regent Street's buildings and there is a longstanding tradition of such displays. More Trending 'The flags proposed, to be strung on lines across the street, are not harmful to visual amenity for the temporary period sought, neither are they harmful when considered cumulatively with other flags and banners displayed on buildings in the street at present and across the street from time to time.' A Westminster City Council spokesperson told Metro: 'The council supports festivals and celebrations from our different communities across the year. Pride is an annual and established fixture and has been supported by the Council for many years. 'Pride flags are in keeping with a cosmopolitan City that welcomes millions of visitors every year. All public community celebrations have a fixed duration and are both proportionate and fitting. Given similar pronouncements in previous years we await further information about the Christian Legal Centre's legal challenge with interest.' Metro contacted the Crown Estate. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: £20 Pan-Indian feast from a Michelin-starred chef: 10 unmissable Time Out deals MORE: Enjoy the weekend's heat with London's best boat restaurants MORE: 'Swan Whisperer' banned from Hyde Park after residents objected to him kissing the birds
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Christians vow to sue 'Wokeminster' council if they put up trans-inclusive flags for Pride month
A Christian company has vowed to sue a council dubbed 'Wokeminster' over plans to hang up trans-inclusive flags to mark Pride Month. In collaboration with Westminster City Council, the Crown Estate, who own the majority of properties on Regent Street, plan to fly Progress Pride flags in 20 locations throughout the central London area between mid-June and mid-July. But if the proposed decorations are hoisted into the air within the next week, the council, nicknamed 'Wokeminster' by its own chief executive Stuart Love, and the Crown Estate risk facing legal action from the Christian Legal Centre. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, told The Telegraph that the Pride flags were an attack on traditional beliefs about sex and gender. She warned that the Christian Legal Centre would have no option but to pursue legal action if the council chooses to proceed with the Pride display, arguing that everyone should feel welcome in Regent Street. Ms Williams said: 'They send the message that people holding these views – which are worthy of respect in a democratic society – are not welcome. 'The majority of the public do not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride Flag.' The Pride flag was created by American artist and gay rights activist Gilbert Baker and was first displayed in 1978 as a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community. The Progress Pride flag, designed by artist Daniel Quasar, is an amended version including black, brown, pink, pale blue and white stripes to represent people of colour within the LGBTQ+ community, the trans community and those living with HIV/AIDS. Ms Williams continued: 'This ideology has been discredited by the Cass review, the closure of the Tavistock, and most recently Supreme Court ruling. When will the Crown Estate catch up with the rest of society?' In April, five Supreme Court justices ruled that the legal definition of a 'woman' in the 2010 Equality Act refers 'to a biological woman and biological sex'. Lord Hodge said he recognised 'the strength of feeling on both sides' and cautioned against seeing the judgement as a triumph for one side over another, stressing that the law still gives trans people protection against discrimination. Despite this, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch praised the ruling as a 'victory' for women and said it meant the 'era of Keir Starmer telling us women can have penises has come to an end'. The landmark ruling could have far-reaching implications on how sex-based rights apply, including how women-only spaces are allowed to operate. Vicky Lee, founder of the Way Out Club, urged the Christian Legal Centre not to pursue legal action. She argued they would need to sue 'for every pair of hot pants, every T-shirt and every flag worn as a cape because Pride Month is here and the superheroes [trans community] are not going away anytime soon.' Other London-based trans activists including Dee Chantelle who runs a pub called Zodiac in Camden, told the publication that the threat of legal action is just another way to ignore the existence of trans people. More than one million members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies are expected to take to the capital on July 5th for Pride in London. The colourful parade will make its way through Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street before concluding at Westminster. Last year's Pride organisers were criticised by none other than James May for the sheer number of flags flying in Regent Street. The Top Gear star took to social media to arguing that the LGBTQ+ decorations could be seen as 'authoritarian' and 'oppressive'. He also suggested that World War Two started with too much bunting. His X/Twitter post read: 'Pride: while I have observed and admired what you have achieved over my lifetime, may I respectfully suggest that you are borderline guilty of Too Much Bunting (TMB). It may be seen as authoritarian, and therefore oppressive. 'Please remember that some terrible things, with which you would not wish to be allied, began with TMB. World War Two, for example. Nice flag, though.' In the comments, one person wrote: 'I hope you're not insinuating that somehow the LGBTQ+ community is somehow in danger of starting WW3 because of some rainbow flags James?' May stood firm in his stance and said: 'I'm not, no. Stand down'. Another replied: 'Respectfully, comparing the LGBT community to Nazis is very offensive. Very disappointed, James.' But May refuted the claim that he was comparing the LGBT community to the Nazis and responded with: 'I haven't done, though, have I?' A spokesperson for Westminster City Council said: 'The council supports festivals and celebrations from our different communities across the year. Pride is an annual and established fixture and has been supported by the council for many years. 'Pride flags are in keeping with a cosmopolitan city that welcomes millions of visitors every year. All public community celebrations have a fixed duration and are both proportionate and fitting. 'Given similar pronouncements in previous years we await further information about the Christian Legal Centre's legal challenge with interest.'
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘Wokeminster' council faces legal action over trans Pride flags
A council nicknamed 'Wokeminster' by its own chief executive is facing legal action over plans to hang trans-inclusive Pride flags throughout the area, the Telegraph can reveal. The Crown Estate, which owns the majority of property on Regent Street, lodged plans earlier this year to hoist flags in 20 locations between mid-June and mid-July as part of Pride Month. However, Westminster city council and the Crown Estate now risk facing legal action in the form of a judicial review from the Christian Legal Centre if the proposed decorations are put up next week. The Progress Pride flag is an amended version of the 1978 rainbow-coloured Pride flag and includes black, brown, pink, pale blue and white stripes, which represent people of colour in the LGBTQ community, the trans community and those living with HIV/Aids. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, told The Telegraph she believed the flags were an 'attack on historic, traditional beliefs about sex and gender'. She added: 'They send the message that people holding these views – which are worthy of respect in a democratic society – are not welcome. 'The majority of the public do not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride Flag.'
1News
29-05-2025
- Business
- 1News
Almost $365,000 misappropriated by one person at Dunedin school
A Dunedin high school has revealed close to $365,000 was misappropriated by one person over five years. Logan Park High School emailed parents on Thursday "in the interests of transparency" after an external accountant first discovered the missing funds last year. It happened between 2019 and 2024. The school's board of trustees said it was an isolated incident involving one individual and a thorough review had been conducted. "It's important to note that this matter has now been fully resolved, and we want to share the outcome with our whānau to reassure you that, moving forward, our systems and processes are robust," the board said. ADVERTISEMENT The misappropriated funds had been full recovered along with legal and accounting costs, but the board said it had to wait until after the investigation and audit were completed before disclosing what happened to ensure due process was followed. The audit process had recently been signed off and the total amount of $364,884 (GST inclusive) was published in the 2023 full Annual Report. The board acknowledged the news might come as a surprise, but said the Office of the Auditor-General has been consulted and the financial risk to the school as a result of this issue had been eliminated. "After uncovering the issue, we identified necessary improvements and changes to our processes, which were implemented immediately in 2024 to strengthen our internal policies and ensure that this won't happen again," the board said. "This includes third-party professional support." The board thanked its staff for their willingness to assist, saying their cooperation had been invaluable in helping it to resolve the matter and strengthen the school's financial safeguards. "We have fully cooperated with the audit process throughout and remain committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in our school's financial management," the board said. ADVERTISEMENT "The school has remained in a stable and secure financial position throughout this period." The Ministry of Education's Acting Hautū Te Tai Runga, Andrea Williams, said the ministry was aware of the matter and would be working with the school to better understand the processes they followed. Police would not confirm if they were involved.
CBS News
14-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Andrea Williams says UIC having a woman as director of athletics is a big deal to student athletes
In the world of sports leadership, one would be hard pressed find a résumé more impressive than Andrea Williams. Williams has had quite the career in sports, but she is now working for the first time at a school — as the new Director of Athletics at the University of Illinois Chicago. As she put it, she gets to be a bit of a homer for a change — and she is certainly excited for this new challenge. Williams is settling into her new role at UIC with big goals in mind. "We want to strive to be excellent," said Williams, "so that means whether it's our student athletes in the classroom, if it's on the court, we want to win championships. We want to be able to hoist trophies." Williams was named the UIC Flames' new director of athletics in November. A former Division I volleyball and basketball player at Texas A&M, she understands what it means to be a student athlete and how she can be a role model. "I even have had some conversations with our student athletes here, especially our female athletes, and it's a big deal. It's a big deal for them to be able to walk these halls and say: 'Wow, we've got a woman as our athletics director! Wow, we've got a woman of color in this position!' because representation does matter," she said. "If you want to be at the highest level in whatever craft that you have, it's possible — and what's great is you can get there from here." Williams got to UIC by forging an impressive, trailblazing path that included working for the Big Ten Conference — where as associate commissioner in 2011, she was in charge of the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game. "When you're talking about a historic conference that was established in 1892, and this is the first ever football championship game, and you had a woman running a male-dominated sport," Williams said. "That was a big deal." Williams has also worked with the Utah Jazz, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff, and the Big Sky Conference — where in 2016, she became the first African American woman to serve as a conference commissioner at the Division I level. "One thing that actually really saddens me about that appointment is the fact that I should not have been the first, right?" said Williams. "Like in 2016, all the incredible African American women that came before me that had wonderful success, experience, background, education, that should have been first. You know, I wish I was like the 100th. But that just wasn't the case, and so I recognize it, I wear it as a badge of honor, but I also know that it comes with a great, you know, line of responsibility as well." Now, Williams' responsibility is leading the athletics program at UIC — a job that comes with its own challenges in the ever-changing college landscape of conference realignment, revenue sharing, and of course, students being able to profit from their name, image, and likeness. "That's going to be a challenge, especially for smaller schools that perhaps have smaller budgets, and we just have to figure out like how to be creative — again, if that's a space that we opt to be a part of, we have to find new ways to be able to operate," Williams said, "and I think that's what the whole point is in your question in terms of the changing landscape is you have to evolve, you have to be fluid, and you have to be able to pivot — and I think that we have the right leadership here to that, the right coaches, and the student athletes to be able to move the needle at UIC." It seems that they have the right athletic director for that mission as well.
