Bigots are raging at the new Pride poppy brooch – but the British Legion aren’t backing down

In the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday next month, the Royal British Legion have listed a Progress Pride flag poppy brooch for sale, leading to outrage from some (predictable, right-wing) quarters.

Anger about the brooch quickly spread on X, with several people proclaiming “Britain has fallen” and that the “woke” mob has infiltrated even the legion because the pin also features the colours of the transgender flag.

The Progress Pride flag was designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018 and includes several elements that represent different communities and experiences, including black and brown stripes to represent queer people of colour and those living with HIV/AIDS. 

The Royal British Legion is a charity that helps serving and former members of the UK’s armed forces and is best-known for running the Poppy Appeal each year.

The red poppy is considered a symbol of remembrance, particularly for those who gave their lives in the two world wars and the conflicts that followed.

Despite the fact that there are, and always have been, LGBTQ+ people in the navy, air force and army, who faced homophobia and discrimination for their sexuality, many so-called patriots are angry about the inclusive flag being associated with the poppy.

Former comedy writer Graham Linehan tweeted about the badge alongside an image of Jennifer Dyer, the head of diversity and inclusion at the legion, implying that she was responsible for the item. “It only takes one or two people to groom an organisation,” he wrote, quoting anti-trans freelance writer Lisa Muggeridge.

Another person called the LGBTQ+ community a “brainwashing cult that has no place in a veterans’ charity”, adding: “The poppy is a universal symbol for remembrance of everyone. If you think you still need special statement and that horrific flag of child grooming and denial of human biology to make you feel special, then you’re the problem.”

There was even an opinion piece about the poppy brooch in arts magazine The Critic, which claimed that the sale of an LGBTQ-inclusive badge “demeans what could be a dignified occasion.”

Following the online backlash, it briefly appeared as if the charity had caved in and removed the pin from their online shop.

One person tagged the charity and asked why it had seemingly been removed, saying: “I hope I don’t need to explain to you that LGBTQIA+ people are currently facing a concerted moral panic and your capitulation to that is irresponsible and dangerous.”

“It’s unlisted for a reason,” one person responded. “They realised Poppy Day wasn’t a reason for attention-seekers like yourselves to hijack one of the UK’s most important days. It’s about men who died, not men in heels.”

However, it was not unlisted. The badge is still available to purchase on the RBL’s website, for £8 ($10), with the note that it “symbolises support for our LGBTIQ+ community who are a vital part of our armed forces past and present”.

The charity’s X account confirmed that news, with a spokesperson saying: “We’re just checking the settings on what’s happened, but rest assured the badge is still available on our Poppy Shop and Amazon.”

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