Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town is currently at the centre of a heated debate regarding its decision to fly the Pride flag for two days during June, a practice the school has maintained annually since 2021. The controversy intensified on 23 June 2026 when the Old Diocesan Committee (ODC), representing school alumni, formally requested that the governing body remove the flag and replace it with a neutral symbol, such as the St. George’s flag.
Diverging Views Within The School Community
The request from the ODC sparked an immediate backlash from various members of the Bishops community, with actor and alumnus Anton Taylor publicly distancing himself from the committee’s stance. Taylor, who has been vocal in his opposition to the request, stated during his public commentary that the belief that a Pride flag is incompatible with Anglican values is contradictory to the church’s own teachings.
When you tell me that a Pride flag is ‘un-Anglican’, you are not describing our church, you are contradicting it.
In contrast, the musician known as ‘The Kiffness’ defended the committee’s position on social media, arguing that as a private Anglican institution, the school should not be pressured into displays that might run contrary to traditional expectations. He drew a comparison to a specialised business, suggesting that expecting the school to display the flag is like expecting a vegan restaurant to serve a double bacon cheeseburger.
Institutional Neutrality And Student Support
The ODC has defended their position by arguing that the school can foster a safe environment for LGBTQ+ learners without the use of specific flags on school property. They released a statement asserting that the core message of safety and belonging should be delivered directly by the school’s conduct and voice rather than through symbolic displays.
The message these boys are owed: you are welcome, you are safe, you are ours, is owed to them directly, in the school’s own voice and by its own conduct, and it is stronger said that way than flown on a pole next to the question of ‘Whose flag comes next?’
The debate has galvanised a broad base of support for the current policy, with nearly 400 parents, alumni, and staff forming a group titled ‘Supporting a Progressive Bishops’. This group maintains that the symbolic gesture is a necessary component of modern inclusivity, noting that the tension is rooted in broader, ongoing discussions surrounding institutional transformation that have persisted in South African private schools since 2020. The school’s governing body is expected to deliberate on the future of the flag policy in upcoming sessions.