ACAS confirms it has left Stonewall - the Times

[ChoosandChipsandSealingWax]

“ A second high-profile public body has ditched a rights group’s scheme to encourage “diversity days” after concerns were raised that it gave unlawful advice on transgender rights.

Acas, the employment dispute service, confirmed to The Times that it had withdrawn “for cost reasons” from the diversity champions scheme run by Stonewall”

Link: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stonewall-suffers-fresh-setback-in-trans-advice-row-j3p79gb2k

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[PermanentTemporary]

What PurplePlain said.

I don't know which person or board decision set Stonewall on the path to effectively be corporate UK's outsourced 'diversity' department. It reminds me of medieval warlords paying for chantries to say hundreds of masses for their souls so they can get on with marrying 14 year olds, taxing the poor and slaughtering rebels.

[ofwarren]

Excellent news!
Seems like the house of cards is finally falling.

[Wrongsideofhistorymyarse]

Fantastic

[oldwomanwhoruns]

@PearPickingPorky but why should it be political? (re citing the costs of membership as the reason for leaving).

ACAS simply have to say that Stonewall was misrepresenting the law to them.

This is not a minor gripe, is it? ACAS hire stonewall for advice on one issue. And stonewall gets this one issue wrong.

[BernardBlackMissesLangCleg]

@PurplePlain

I'm pleased about this, but also sad that I feel pleased. Stonewall was a positive thing.

This

Equality, diversity and inclusion should be good things

Hearing people talk about those things at work shouldn’t worry me, I should be pleased!

[MrsMidClegs]

A friend of mine's company's CEO refused to sign them up to be a Stonewall champ and it apparently caused a lot of grumbling internally. Mostly by gay men I hear.
I'm glad these other companies, especially the EHRC, are pulling out as it now makes it so much easier for CEOs to say NO.

[Nonmaquillee]

Bloody brilliant 😊😊

[MrsMidClegs]

Just realised the significance for women in the workplace of it being ACAS that have pulled the plug!

(Haven't had coffee yet..).

👏👏👏👏👏

[Puddycatfan]

I can't fucking smile wide enough!

[ScreamingMeMe]

Cheers, all. This is getting very interesting indeed.

[BreatheAndFocus]

Great news! I can’t wait for Stonewall to fall - and no, I don’t really feel sad to say that. They bear no resemblance to the real Stonewall now. They’re a massive gravy train ploughing on over women’s rights and gay people’s rights. It’s way past time for them to stop.

More than that, I’d like some kind of enquiry and people named and blamed. They’ve done so much damage and they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

[JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn]

Great news.

[vivariumvivariumsvivaria]

[zanahoria]

I cannot feel sad.

Stonewall was a good thing but that was a long time ago, they did not even initially campaign for equality of marriage just hitched on the bandwagon after others had got it moving.

It is now rotten to the core. Its only members are corporations and government bodies. It pursues an agenda that is dictated by pharmaceutical companies that want to experiment on kids and put them on drugs for life.

ACAS leaving is massive. Organizations with good lawyers have woken up, others will follow.

I am laughing my back off as it crumbles.

[RockPainting]

Stonewall - if you're reading - how about you set the T free now that you have given it a platform, and go back to what you do best? It would be a shame if that were to be lots.

"Stonewall gets back to basics as it establishes separate Trans-rights lobbying group".

I even wrote the headline for your press release for you!

[zanahoria]

" I don't know which person or board decision set Stonewall on the path to effectively be corporate UK's outsourced 'diversity' department"

It is about meeting requirements of equality legislation, organizations do not sign up just to be woke and even those with good legal departments may not have expertise in this area. What has obviously happened is that those that do have asked them to look at Stonewall's advice and they have twigged they have been sold a pig in a poke.

ACAS are being kind about just quouting cost reasons. They were sold worthless legal advice.

ACAS are an employment dispute service, their remit is literally to avoid controversy.

Commercial organizations who have been fleeced may be less kind

[JustcameoutGC]

I think you will find the LGB Alliance are now occupying that space.

[zanahoria]

We may soon need a list of organizations who have left Stonewall thread,

[EmpressWitchDoesntBurn]

@RockPainting

Stonewall - if you're reading - how about you set the T free now that you have given it a platform, and go back to what you do best? It would be a shame if that were to be lots.

"Stonewall gets back to basics as it establishes separate Trans-rights lobbying group".

I even wrote the headline for your press release for you!

I think it’s too late. They’ve shown that they can’t be trusted to support LGB rights any more & even if they claimed to have changed their minds - which I don’t believe they ever will - I wouldn’t believe them.

[TedImgoingmad]

Perhaps the lack of a decent explanation for dropping Stonewall, is mitigated by the lack of thanks. Usually, if there has been an amicable parting of ways, the parties would be issuing gushing, heartfelt praise and thanks for one another. There doesn't appear to be any of that, just a few luke warm remarks. You can read between the lines if you are "in the know"; and for the uninitiated, perhaps you are left with the impression that Stonewall is just not a good enough provider to be value for money.

[Barracker]

Tee hee, called it

Who's next, I wonder?
I predict there'll be a little flurry of 'budget reviews' from other organisations and I hope every single one hits the papers.

And when they do, the effect will be greater than every well crafted argument would have been. Because even corporations act like pack animals, and watching others leave the sinking ship will give them all the heebie-jeebies.

[TalkingtoLangClegintheDark]

Wonderful news!

[zanahoria]

I am guessing that anyone who did sign up may not want the decision scrutinized too much so the leaving because of costs statement is a bit less confrontational and will bring less grief their way.

[TedImgoingmad]

It's an absolute scandal that ACAS, whose very existence is to know the bloody law on equality, didn't understand that Stonewall was lying to them. I can understand a school head or whatever not knowing the law, but ACAS and EHRC? It makes you think these bodies are either not fit for purpose, or something seriously untoward has happened that has allowed them to adopt Stonewall lies - let's call them what they are - and get away with it for so long.

[AlfonsoTheTerrible]

Excellent news. I agree with @Barracker about hoping for other companies to review their budgets.