The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) has told staff it will not take part in any Pride parades in an official capacity this year, citing legal and case law considerations.

In an internal communication signed by Head of the Civil Service Jayne Brady and all departmental permanent secretaries, officials said the current context means staff cannot be identifiable as representing the organisation at such events.

NICS employees have participated in Belfast Pride since 2018 through a staff network, but that involvement drew criticism from some politicians who argued it compromised the service's impartiality.

Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said he was very disappointed. He stated that some in political life were attempting to roll back LGBT rights and that he would attend Pride events this summer.

DUP assembly member Jonathan Buckley welcomed the withdrawal. He said Pride is a political event and that public bodies should not align themselves with such causes. Buckley stressed that every employee should be treated with dignity but that the civil service must act impartially and serve all.

Last year, Belfast Pride organisers excluded Stormont executive parties after the administration backed a ban on puberty blockers for under-18s. The Police Service of Northern Ireland had already instructed officers in 2023 not to wear uniforms at Pride parades.

Belfast Pride said it understood the NICS had withdrawn permission for staff to march officially in its parade. The organisers argued that demanding equality is not a breach of neutrality but a basic commitment to human dignity. They invited individual civil servants to participate on their own.

Scott Cuthbertson, CEO of the Rainbow Project, said the blanket ban on official civil service participation is not neutrality. He said neutrality requires recognising and addressing historic inequality facing LGBTQ+ staff and citizens.

The NICS said the decision does not reflect a change in its commitment to LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion and that support will need to take a different form. The service has a paid membership of the Stonewall equality scheme and received a Silver Award in 2024.