A transgender row has erupted at a county council after a "gender-fluid" dachshund and its owner were subjected to "transphobic" comments.
The sausage dog, named Pabllo Vittar after a Brazilian drag queen of the same name, is owned by Cambridgeshire County Council staff member Gleicon Analha - who last year hosted a video call among the authority's LGBT+ employee group.
In the call, Analha had claimed the pet was "gender-fluid" and wore a dress to start a "debate about gender".
He had in the past brought the dachshund to council-run gay pride events - and GB News has seen images of the dog decked out in pride colours in front of trans protest placards and flags.
The sausage dog, according to its owner, is "gender-fluid" and wore a dress to start a "debate about gender"
But he came under fire from 62-year-old colleague Elizabeth Pitt, who is said to have made "non-inclusive and transphobic" remarks - including declaring: "Your dog is male" - and comments about women's-only spaces and trans participation in women's sport.
Analha formally complained, claiming Pitt had attacked his "personal choices and lived experiences" and her "transphobic" comments had "caused an emotional impact on the peer group".
Pitt was formally disciplined by council managers - but then, at a tribunal, the authority admitted it had discriminated against the 62-year-old social worker for her beliefs, and was ordered to pay up £63,000 in compensation.
Analha submitted evidence at the hearing in which he wrote: "I identify my dog as gender-fluid, and I actually enjoy speaking with people about human gender expression and how we (as a society) imprinted this in animals and culturally we repeat the gender expressions and stereotypes to the young generation."
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Pabllo Vittar, the Brazilian drag queen after whom the dachshund is named
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Pitt's comments were described as "offensive" and "nasty opinions" in some of the formal complaints filed against her, with one calling her tone "really aggressive".
She was then ordered by management to refrain from "comments or actions in the workplace that might discriminate against others on grounds of a protected characteristic".
The 62-year-old, who is gay, was also banned from contacting any members of the LGBT+ group or attending its events.
In response, she complained, arguing that the council's reaction to her beliefs "amounted to harassment or direct discrimination".
Cambridgeshire County Council was told to stump up £63,000 in taxpayer cash
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Cambridgeshire County Council accepted at the tribunal last month that Pitt's "gender-critical" opinions amounted to a "philosophical belief" and admitted liability.
Employment judge Paul Michell ruled that the way she had been treated was because of her beliefs, and awarded her £30,000 in loss of earnings and a further £22,000 compensation for injury to feelings - totalling £55,910 with interest added.
The council was also ordered to pay legal costs of £8,000 and told to change its staff training to include a section on "freedom of belief and speech in the workplace".
A council spokesman said: "We strive to create a safe, inclusive and compassionate environment for people to work in and recognise this needs to be balanced with everyone being entitled to express their own views and beliefs.
"We will reflect carefully on this final outcome, as well as undertake a review of our policies and procedures accordingly."