Stonewall champions and the news

[sqwertyCream]

Without outing anyone in the real world , a big media outlet is asking all the diversity champions if they will be renewing membership or not, citing the Essex university case and the EHRC decision.

Watching and waiting with intense interest...!

I would be very surprised if organisations like the BBC remained members when it can be claimed if can detract from their impartiality. They've got enough problems already.

Watching this. Please keep us posted @sqwertyCream if you get any further intel. 👍

I sent my Son's Head Teacher the BBC report about EHRC, the Sex Matters press release as well as the Essex Report this morning. Head replied saying he'd seen the BBC report and will using all the info I sent him to form their decision on continued membership.

The school renewed Stonewall membership last month, despite my best efforts to persuade them otherwise, and I won't rest until they reverse their decision. I'm feeling positive about current events!

The FCA will be interesting. Influential are they regulate banks and other financial institutions. And interesting as one of their Executive Directors, Sheldon Mills, is also Stonewall’s Chair and was on the board when they added the ‘T’. Not too many years ago the FCA had Mermaids as their chosen charity.

I can’t imagine many banks will want to drop Stonewall unless their regulator signals that ticking the Stonewall box does not count towards meeting diversity and inclusion targets.

Parallels with David Issac and EHRC?

Interesting sqwertyCream, look forward to the responses.

My main concern is the number of Government Departments and publicly funded bodies that are part of this scheme, I cannot see how they can justify their continued membership as it impacts detrimentally on their impartiality by being aligned to a political lobby group determined to misrepresent and rewrite the law. Especially egregious for the MoJ and the CPS, how can they defend this? Stonewall's fingerprints are all over the MoJ policy for putting TW, particularly high risk rapist and paedophile TW's, in the female prison estate totally contrary to existing legislation.

I will do and good luck with your school @weeTorag.

I hope that there is enough for them to get a piece from it. If nothing else it will be interesting to see how many (if any) yes/no replies are given, and what angle any story has.

My company is also a member, and I will be asking for some clarity on what they plan to do given recent events and the BBC article.

It's madness that lots of us who are LGB would definitely not choose to work for a company that was part of the scheme and they're more likely to attract heterosexuals trying to be right on and reduce their pool of LGB candidates.

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Just listened to the World at One interview with the BBC chair? D.G? about the Dyson report on Bashir. Some interesting observations about institutional culture, complacency, integrity and independence.
Not sure how the BBC will manage to retain any formal contact with Stonewall given the concrete evidence of them openly misleading organisations about the law.

DD's (12) school is a 'Stonewall Silver Award School Champion' and I'm on the verge of drafting an email to them. Any pointers gratefully received.

I think I read on a different thread that Stonewall have removed from public view the list of champions? But someone had it stored? Can anyone share it/point me towards it?

This is an archived list of champions, don’t know how up to date it is

<a class="break-all" href="https://archive.li/www.stonewall.org.uk/diversity-champions-members" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">archive.li/www.stonewall.org.uk/diversity-champions-members

Here you go Wookey

web.archive.org/web/20210514165034/www.stonewall.org.uk/diversity-champions-members

My work (local council) is putting forwards to be a champion, also hoping this does not go ahead.

It's a big old list isn't it. What really annoys me when I look at it is how much public money has been spent on membership repeatedly. So many councils, NHS trusts, government departments and so on Stonewall have just been lapping it up for years, haven't they.

With regards to the private sector, I wonder which areas females have the most influence over. Where we can actually make a difference by voting with our wallets? Sadly it's probably supermarket spending - looking down the list, I think I'm going to have to shop in Asda and only buy their own brand stuff!

Anyway, not wishing to derail; I will be very interested to see what the replies are to whether organisations will continue.

@ScreamingMeMe

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Me too. This is getting goood!

That is interesting.

Those who are writing to schools or companies, how about askng them if they subscribe to LGB - is that the correct name - it's the group started by Alison Bailey and other women? - and if not, why not?

I really hope this makes more headlines. Stonewall have been behaving so badly for so long. We need more sunlight

LGB Alliance - yes, good point Abitofalark.

I find their tweets at the weekend and now this very worrying.

twitter.com/simonjedge/status/1396794588485099521?s=21

The balloons on their Twitter seem to have been placed there deliberately as a diversion. It might work at a kids birthday party but do they really think this will work with adults?

Stonewall have this on their website:

Stonewall statement on misinformation about the Diversity Champions programme

Wow. Is it too much to hope for change...

@inigomontoyahwillcox

DD's (12) school is a 'Stonewall Silver Award School Champion' and I'm on the verge of drafting an email to them. Any pointers gratefully received.

You might find this blog and the resources on Safe School Alliance useful. safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2021/02/14/is-your-childrens-school-a-stonewall-champion/

@Over600Ecalypts

Stonewall have this on their website:

Stonewall statement on misinformation about the Diversity Champions programme

Well, that is interesting. There's lots I could comment on there, but one thing strikes me:

They say:

the weekend of 22/23 May saw a coordinated attack on our Diversity Champions programme launched across the media.

In what way was it coordinated?! Who is this mighty coordinator?!

Keep an eye out on the BBC (!) for a story on the champions - but I'm afraid my intel may end there and any more digging might land others in unwanted trouble.

While this would obviously be great as a story (a. even just to flag up this as a potential risk employers won't want to be saddled with and, b. to keep questions about the whole issue in the headlines) I'd be much more interested in how many of these champions are actively making use of the scheme and its advice/resources etc beyond simply paying up and sticking a logo on their website.

I've asked in my own company and will be pushing for this to be properly reviewed, but it's very much a small player in the grand scheme of Stonewall Champions.

Is there any way to track that sort of information on such a scale? Or was any of it covered in the submit to Stonewall FOI campaign does anyone know?

Anyhow, back to BBC trawling, and wouldn't it be great to see the same questions whenever these annual memberships are all due to renewal en masse!!

@Over600Ecalypts

Stonewall have this on their website:

Stonewall statement on misinformation about the Diversity Champions programme

I'd like to see a critique of that statement, though there is not much stated in it!