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Original poster

Ruth Hunt: Stonewall CEO

95 replies

TimeLady · 15/09/2018 14:57

uk.linkedin.com/in/ruth-hunt-54a4456

Student politics at Oxford

Eighteen months with
www.ecu.ac.uk/about-us/

then straight into Stonewall in 2005

She's as much a career politician as those in the HoC, who have never experienced work on the outside. Hardly surprising that she embraced the T when the LGB 'fight' was effectively over. What would she be doing now otherwise?

Continuing the 'fight' for diversity could well be viewed as another job creation scheme. Why would those involved ever want it to be over?

OP posts:
silentcrow · 15/09/2018 22:04

In 1996 my family moved to Birmingham. With a number three haircut, a new leather jacket and scant regard for my A-levels, I discovered the Birmingham scene and a new community of lesbians, bisexual people, gay men, drag queens, trans men, trans women and, for me, a strong sense of belonging.

Could Hunt have been groomed? It would be interesting to know who was pushing trans rights in the early 2000s when she was a young woman (compare Madigan, Challoner etc). If she's been there since 2006 - starting at the age of 26 - it's not a great leap to want to explore early influences.

FloralBunting · 15/09/2018 21:55

Timelady, no worries, I'm not offended - I'm just pointing out that believing in certain doctrines doesn't make you more susceptible to believing TWAW. Personally I think it makes it less likely in my case.

Although I didn't know she was Catholic, and I'm as Hmm about that as I am about that Trans health bod that R0wan often links to the video of and whose name escapes me being Catholic also. But then I guess the Catholic church is a big thing.

I'd like to posit that the influence of Catholicism in this case is more likely to be in the area of 'kindness', female socialization and 'inclusivity' ideas.

Original poster
TimeLady · 15/09/2018 21:47

Total income from government sources (2017) was £655,573

Yep, taxpayers' money used to dismantle women's rights.. AngryAngry

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Original poster
TimeLady · 15/09/2018 21:42

2017 accounts lodged with Companies House on 23 March 2018 give details of monies received

beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02412299/filing-history

Also

1 person paid between £90,000 -£99.999

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Original poster
TimeLady · 15/09/2018 21:28

No offence intended, Floral. However, as an atheist, a belief in any supernatural event is hard to understand.

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FloralBunting · 15/09/2018 21:23

Erm, as a devout Catholic, I'd like to point out that each of those doctrines is a miracle, and any thinking believer understands that for something to be a supernatural miracle, there must be a clearly understood natural order.

The virgin birth is miraculous because we understand how babies are made. It's a supernatural event that is based in a correct understanding of biology. There's no reason to suppose that someone who believes in such doctrines would more easily believe that Transwomen are women, because that's clearly demonstrable nonsense.

I don't believe in miracles and supernatural events for the woo-feelings. It's an intellectual assent to an extremely rare event with a specific message - not a wacky new understanding of basic biology as elastic and feelz based.

Materialist · 15/09/2018 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DuckingGoodPJs · 15/09/2018 21:17

I believe the phrase is 'pulling up the ladder behind you'.

Indeed it is Ova. Also RH once again proves that the only women who really succeed to the top, are the ones who will further the male agenda. Hunt's appointment was a golden opportunity to promote the often overlooked 'L' in that alphabet - but no, a hearty round of under-the-bussing happened instead.

Original poster
TimeLady · 15/09/2018 21:07

These interviews are really revealing, aren't they?

As a seemingly devout Catholic, who presumably believes in transubstantiation, the Virgin birth and the resurrection, perhaps it explains why she's prepared to buy in to the 'transwomen are women' argument.

Give me strength Angry

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OvaHere · 15/09/2018 20:51

I may be asking a stupid question here, but as someone who attended a girls school and a women's college, why is she lobbying change to this set-up?

I believe the phrase is 'pulling up the ladder behind you'.

bd67th · 15/09/2018 20:51

It's often said that most campaigning groups should regard it as a deep matter of shame that they celebrate their 20 year anniversary, 30 year etc.

That's such a good point.

One of the things I love about Abortion Support Network is that they openly look forward to being put out of business.

CertainHalfDesertedStreets · 15/09/2018 20:48

When I took over as Chief Executive in 2014, same-sex marriage had just been introduced and everyone said that Stonewall should just shut down as there was no more work to be done. However, we are proving time and time again that our work is more important than ever and Stonewall is the right organisation to be doing it

We were irrelevant. But then we found a way to make ourselves relevant again. And that was necessary to keep the lovely money and influence.

JoggerBottom · 15/09/2018 20:46

I may be asking a stupid question here, but as someone who attended a girls school and a women's college, why is she lobbying change to this set-up?

Original poster
TimeLady · 15/09/2018 20:41

Another interview

As the current custodian of Stonewall, I’m immensely proud of the fact that we continue to be such an effective movement. When I took over as Chief Executive in 2014, same-sex marriage had just been introduced and everyone said that Stonewall should just shut down as there was no more work to be done. However, we are proving time and time again that our work is more important than ever and Stonewall is the right organisation to be doing it.

www.canterbury.ac.uk/inspire/articles/spring2018/ruth-hunt-chief-executive-of-stonewall.aspx#0GF8lRxl2zlzMQHg.99

What does a typical week look like for the Chief Executive of Stonewall?

It’s usually a six-day week for me. I try to have one day in the office; a jeans-and-trainers day when I can actually talk to staff and find out what’s happening on the gound. Each week, I meet with around five politicians and three FTSE 100 chief executives about the work they are doing. I also do a lot of media work as well as deliver talks outside London to a new audience. Fundraising is a fundamental part of my role as Chief Executive so I attend three evening events with different donors. For me, the challenge is keeping up to speed with, and having the headspace for, all the different topics when I’m jumping around from one meeting to the next, be it with the Secretary of State for Health or the Association of Chief Police Officers.

What are your ambitions for the future?

I’m not sure what’s next. I think Chief Executives get too comfortable and tend to outstay their welcome, and that’s not good. Stonewall is campaigning for communities that are constantly in a state of flux and the ways in which we campaign are changing. I would never want to do harm to the movement by staying too long. Saying that, we are at a pivotal moment now for trans rights and I’m not about to walk away and jeopardise it. It’s about getting the balance right. I’ve been at Stonewall for 12 years and I’ve had eight different roles here, so we’ll have to see. However, I should imagine it will be something to do with communications, campaigning, lobbying and influencing. I might even go off and run a sweet shop for a while. I’ll probably move into politics eventually,

Yep, politics.

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Original poster
TimeLady · 15/09/2018 20:33

From 2016

So far, my proudest achievement is that Stonewall became trans-inclusive in 2015, after a six-month consultation with more than 700 trans people. Being able to call Stonewall an LGBT organisation for the first time was a milestone moment for me.

www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2016/15-april/features/interviews/interview-ruth-hunt-chief-executive-stonewall

She nailed her colours to the wall with the inclusion of T. She has no way of backing off now, even if she wanted too. This is her baby.

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CertainHalfDesertedStreets · 15/09/2018 20:29

This is a very timely thread. Ruth Hunt is hugely influential in this debate. It's her leadership of Stonewall that has taken it down this path and Stonewall is the answer to loads of our objections (as in 'but Stonewall say...')

Ruth Hunt - far more than any of the TRAs we spend threads dissecting - is actually the one to watch.

Why hasn't she responded to all the Challenor stuff? Why has she doubled down on the whole Get the L Out thing?

ChiaraRimini · 15/09/2018 19:40

This is such shite. All united as we face prejudice and discrimination?
You better include straight women under the "umbrella" as we face violence and oppression from straight men as well.

ThefusilliJerry · 15/09/2018 19:31

How stupid do you have to be to not understand that “gender identity” - whatever the fuck that it is, it seems to be a concept which cannot be defined without reference to discredited stereotypes - and sexual orientation are entirely different things.
God help us all when even the apparently educated have such poor ability to analyse and reason

Annandale · 15/09/2018 19:25

Eh? That's actually a new one on me. I thought it was really important that the distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity was maintained. Nobody seemed to have told the GIC psychiatrist I heard speak about a year ago? I guess a year is a long time?

CrackpotsArePots · 15/09/2018 19:22

I imagine that going to an all-girl's school and a women's college, Ruth possibly didn't get a chance to see male manipulation in action.

CrackpotsArePots · 15/09/2018 19:20

We recognise the impact of mistakes we have made in the past. We are aware that we have missed opportunities to open up this conversation far sooner. We apologise to trans people for the harm that we have caused

Wow. They bullied you good and proper!

Original poster
TimeLady · 15/09/2018 19:18

How the T began....

www.stonewall.org.uk/sites/default/files/trans_people_and_stonewall.pdf

Foreward

Ruth Hunt, Chief Executive, Stonewall

When I came out as a lesbian at the age of 15 in 1995 I didn’t know any other lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans people. I retreated to Cardiff library and read anything and everything that might help me find my way. In 1996 my family moved to Birmingham. With a number three haircut, a new leather jacket and scant regard for my A-levels, I discovered the Birmingham scene and a new community of lesbians, bisexual people, gay men, drag queens, trans men, trans women and, for me, a strong sense of belonging. We all understood the differences between us but we understood what united us because when we left the ‘village’ we all experienced the same sort of harassment and intimidation. Although I was able to go home to my family, others were less fortunate. For some, the Birmingham village was our family.
As I was embracing a new community, Stonewall and Press for Change activists and campaigners (as well as many others) were working tirelessly on our behalf to eradicate inequalities. The people they were influencing didn’t appreciate the wonderful diversity of our LGBT family. They knew a little about gay men but the rights of trans people were quite a different and complex issue. Our campaigners approached sexual orientation and gender identity as separate issues. This distinction meant greater social progress was achieved for all of us.
Today, society has moved on and Stonewall no longer needs to maintain a strict distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity. Historically, we thought it was the right thing to do. Over the last four months I’ve spoken to hundreds of trans people who say we were wrong to maintain that distinction and we made it worse by making mistakes. We recognise the impact of mistakes we have made in the past. We are aware that we have missed opportunities to open up this conversation far sooner. We apologise to trans people for the harm that we have caused.
After hundreds of conversations with trans people and also with our supporters and partners, we have decided to extend our remit to become a charity which campaigns for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality. Whether it’s challenging bullying in our schools, tackling hate crime on our streets or working to make our public services truly equal for all who use them, we have a responsibility to use our voice and our 25 years of experience to help create real change for trans people.
We also believe that taking this step will enhance all of the work that we already do. When we talk to teachers and doctors and managers we tell them how they can start to create an environment that lets people be themselves. Trans people, who all too often have to fight to express themselves and their gender in a way that’s authentic, really know what that means. Learning from them and hearing their voices will only make us stronger as a movement and as an LGBT community.
I want to thank everyone who has made the effort to reach out to Stonewall and tell us what you think. We can achieve so much by standing together so that each and every one of us can be ourselves in all areas of our lives.

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CrackpotsArePots · 15/09/2018 19:17

... but I notice they've added a link to Aimee's website since the last time I looked a few weeks ago. So helpful

CrackpotsArePots · 15/09/2018 19:14

Aimee Challenor is right there still, on the website.

R0wantrees · 15/09/2018 19:03

Its interesting that Ruth Hunt has not been asked (or has not responded) to the role that Stonewall has with regards Aimee Challenor's influence etc.