The British Embassy in Washington, D.C. spent £51,700 on holding LGBT pride parties and parades in the last two years, GB News can reveal.
In 2023 alone £37,400 was spent by the embassy celebrating LGBT issues, including via a pride parade, a drinks reception for 175 people and “other public diplomacy”.
The figures were obtained by a Freedom of Information Request submitted by GB News.
According to the FOI in 2022 the embassy also spent £14,300 on “pride activity”, composing a £5,300 reception in the embassy building for 120 people and £9,000 on a pride parade.
The majority of the funding for the pride activities came from the taxpayer, with £38,200 of the £51,700 coming from government grants and the rest coming from private sector partnerships.
Connor Tomlinson, a writer and commentator from the centre-right news outlet the Lotus Eaters, told GB News: “There is no excuse for the British Embassy to spend thousands of pounds to fly a rainbow or tricolour-trans flag.”
“The Embassy should be focused on fostering stronger relations with the United States, and serving our citizens spending time across the pond; not paying tithes and celebrating the liturgical calendar of wokeness.”
“While many of the British public hold liberal sensibilities around same-sex relationships, the transgender aspect grafted onto the LGBT acronym remains contentious -- on the grounds that it is untrue that humans can change sex.”
He continued: “This is more than a waste of taxpayer cash: this is tantamount to a celebration of a moral crime perpetrated against vulnerable people, who deserve compassion when guided through their gender confusion.”
“The testimonies of detransitioners, and data on the harms of social transitioning, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries have been readily available for years before the final Cass Report.”
The British Ambassador in Washington, Dame Karen Piece, has attended various pride parades in recent years.
The British Embassy has invested in large LGBT floats that have been used in pride parades in Washington, including a float in 2023 representing Tower Bridge covered in LGBT symbols and colours.
The Ambassador has placed LGBT flags prominently in the British Embassy and they can be seen frequently in promotional videos produced by Dame Karen.
The pride cost comes after a mural sponsored by the UK Government “to champion the UK’s core values of equality and inclusion” was unveiled in February above “the Little Gay Pub” in central Washington, D.C.
Praising the gay mural, Karen Pierce said: “The core values of equality and inclusion that America and Britain share are now immortalised on this wall for years to come. We hope the mural brings a smile to everyone’s face and makes everyone feel at home.”
According to the British Embassy, the mural “portrays a bouquet of rainbow flowers cascading down from an iconic British telephone booth”.
Harrison Pitt, a senior editor at The European Conservative and a political commentator at the New Culture Forum, said: "The Foreign Office wasting tens of thousands of pounds of our money on pride floats and parties perfectly represents the failure of the Conservatives.”
“First, they waste hard-earned taxpayer money on pointless extravagance, second they fund woke projects and activists who despise their values.”
“LGBT parades are political; indeed the British Embassy’s own photos from the parade show off people wearing a shirt with the slogan ‘Trans rights are human rights’.”
He continued: “For the British Embassy and Ambassador to endorse these trans activists is unacceptable. Pride celebrations often involve LGBT activists dressing in highly inappropriate and sexual attire in front of small children who attend these events with their parents.”
“It is deeply concerning that any British official would go to these parades, let alone spend taxpayer cash in building a float and waving the British flag.”
In December Dame Karen liked a tweet from another British diplomat, who wrote: “Today, we’re celebrating the 75th #HumanRightsDay. I was happy to host young LGBT+ activists earlier this week who continue to fight for equality for all - because LGBT+ rights are human rights.”
“The British Embassy in Washington, like embassies all around the world, hosts numerous events across a wide range of issues.
“Pride events at our embassies serve as an important opportunity to champion LGBT rights on the world stage, promoting British values of equality and inclusion and engage with partners who can advance our interests.”
“All expenditure on receptions and events is heavily scrutinised to ensure value for money.”