ACAS confirms it has left Stonewall - the Times

I too am sad that Stonewall now has such a bad name. The “Lawyers” who advised them to reinterpret the Equality Act, need to be investigated. And the board members who fell for it should be having a word with themselves. Their arrogance is astounding.

May MANY other organisations follow

"I have no problem with EHRC and ACAS using the cost saving reason to leave"

There probably is an element of truth in it

If an organization signs up and has all their procedures vetted, staff sent on training courses etc they may be happy with that for a while but there has to come a point when Stonewall are not delivering anything new. Even if they were offering good advice, how many times would you need to hear it?

If an organization feels the need to back out quietly, there is a good excuse.

🥳🥳🥳

Hmm @EmpressWitchDoesntBurn I get that, perhaps the trust is gone. No love lost really.

As long as there is a well-respected and well-known LGB rights group in its place. I'm not that up on it.

Agree 'costs' is a good, non-contentious argument. It's bloody NOT value for money that's for sure.

Excellent news!
Schools and the police urgently need to implement similar cost savings now, as well as every other government department, the law society and the CPS.

So everybody, you do know how this is going to play out if many more organisations decide they ‘can’t afford’ being Stonewalled? The U.K. will start being compared to Poland or as a homophobic, right wing cesspit where LGBT+ citizens are no longer protected. And threads like these will be translated into ‘crowing’ and celebrating this (because of course many will not bother actually reading about WHY many of us have become disillusioned and disturbed by Stonewall’s underhand tactics)

Meh, they say these things about us anyway.

Excellent news.

I have no problem with EHRC and ACAS using the cost saving reason to leave - hopefully that will pave the way for and encourage smaller organisations (schools, local authorities etc) to leave without the fear of being bullied. Because Stonewall really are a bunch of bullies.

In their new strategy they are going after the school market. We must all fight to keep them out, and they have provided plenty of ammunition for us.

Did the Govt have issues very precise guidelines about organisations like this in Schools and what is and isn’t not allowed? If so we will have to monitor what they say,

So everybody, you do know how this is going to play out if many more organisations decide they ‘can’t afford’ being Stonewalled? The U.K. will start being compared to Poland or as a homophobic, right wing cesspit where LGBT+ citizens are no longer protected. And threads like these will be translated into ‘crowing’ and celebrating this (because of course many will not bother actually reading about WHY many of us have become disillusioned and disturbed by Stonewall’s underhand tactics)

But I’m hoping this could be the start of a cultural shift. I’m fed up of schools, for an example I’m familiar with, ‘outsourcing’ the inculcation of values such as tolerance, acceptance and anti-LGBT+ bullying to third party companies. I believe these values should be at the core of every school. I think far too many Heads have handed over the portfolio of ‘kindness’ to teachers, who go through these well trodden ‘procedures’ and tick box exercises, and then sit back and think ‘job done’.

What I want to see is the law being adhered to. ALL the equalities laws. That should be at the heart of an organisation. And this should feed in to a culture where everyone’s needs are catered for, accommodated, championed etc...

When I think of my own child’s school and it’s pride in being a ‘Silver’ ‘insert brand’ champion, I see mainly a lively presence on the school Twitter page, the same old tired posters going up in the corridor at various days/weeks/months of celebration/remembrance. Yet I still see homophobic bullying and intolerance, particularly for those kids who don’t particularly want to embrace all the identity politics stuff. It’s all very colourful but also seems a bit ineffectual and lacking in substance.

But it seems that this is repeated throughout many organisations and institutions. Lazy, virtue-signalling. Stonewall lost its way a long time ago. It’s time for organisations to embed real (and legally accurate) policies and procedures within their day-to-day operations that translate into actions that properly and positively impact on their employees and stakeholders. Not just another flag-waving, lanyard-donning exercise that is all about good PR.

I hope to see many more organisations decide that Stonewall ‘costs‘ too much.

Anyone for a game of Diversity Champion Bingo?

Eyes down.

Excellent news.

I shall save my biggest cheer for the day the Law Society does not renew its membership in a 'budget review'. So many law firms waving their Stonewall badges. Big names. A public enquiry can't come soon enough.

The dominoes are falling.

Wonderful news.

There should be an enquiry into this. Perhaps one is brewing and that is why everyone is jumping ship.

It's a mess of their own making.
By following the money they've managed to really fuck things up.
A separate organisation for trans issues could be a way out but their brand is tarnished.

Costs as the presenting reason are an excellent move.

I am concerned that organisations are hoping for a very quiet redemption narrative in which they agree never to talk about how badly they were mislead - without acknowledging it, they're likely to repeat the same mistakes. They need to admit to their lack of due diligence and explore why they didn't do it.

Gosh, yes, it is quite a lot of money for a scheme that misrepresents the law, when you think about it, isn't it? [blinks]

Come on, everyone. Cost savings! Let's do it!

Domino time.

I wish the school I work at wasn't a Stonewall champ school. So many girls are suddenly boys :(

They're reading the writing on the wall. Getting out before Maya's and Allison's cases are heard.

Given the current financial climate, using budgets as an excuse to get rid of SW is a good way of not having to admit they made a mistake and have likely been breaking the law themselves whilst going back over policies.

This.
We all know 'budget reviews' are a euphemism.
The alternative is to effectively admit "we took illegal advice, created and implemented illegal policies, may have illegally discriminated against you as a result and here is our confession of liability, feel free to sue us"

Jubilant!

Great news.

It was allowed to get everywhere because all those higher up are connected. The 'chair' from one organisation moving to another etc.

Given the current financial climate, using budgets as an excuse to get rid of SW is a good way of not having to admit they made a mistake and have likely been breaking the law themselves whilst going back over policies.

In their new strategy they are going after the school market. We must all fight to keep them out, and they have provided plenty of ammunition for us.