Help me broach Stonewall at work

[headintheproverbial]

There is so much wrapped up in this question. But essentially I have a senior role in a large fairly progressive organisation. Part of my remit is D&I.

As an organisation there is a lot of focus on all sorts of D&I and we have multiple employee resource groups providing support and furthering the interests of various communities (eg women, various ethnic minority groups, LGBT, people with disabilities etc). The LGBT group is currently still mainly focussed on the L and G part but the trans agenda is creeping in more and more. Lots of employees are stating their pronouns and everyone is encouraged to do so.

We have been working on a partnership with Stonewall for several years. Over the last year especially I'm increasingly horrified by their agenda and what they stand for in some ways. But I am pretty reticent to say anything at work... however the recent more mainstream press and govt agencies withdrawing makes me feel perhaps I could say something.

For example when I think about what our women's network stands for I'm pretty sure many of them would be worried if they fully understood the Stonewall stance.

Any ideas how to raise this? I am of course worried for my job (or at least professional reputation) if I get this wrong ...

Following this. My company is a stonewall champion. I'm not senior but am in the d&i team, and the young women in the group are all fully twaw, be kind etc. With everything that's come out about stonewall i think i need to say something now, too. Courage calls to courage!

Lots of good articles this week that can be shared. I may flag their aim to remove single sex exemptions and their changing same sex attraction to refer to same "gender" attraction. Good luck

This thread might be useful:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4263662-Any-templates-for-letters-to-orgs-about-Stonewall

And this one:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4262655-Raising-Stonewall-with-employer-how

Maybe raising the potential reputational damage to your place of work if they follow the edicts of an organisation that has proved to be telling untruths about the law might be a route in to this?
Sharing the Essex report and musing on how lucky Essex are that the two professors didn't sue as the report shows that the university behaved illegally. Perhaps suggesting a quick review of policies that may have been influenced by Stonewall to double check to ensure that they are legally accurate?

Michael Biggs has written a letter to Oxford university encouraging them to dunno Stonewall. It might be a good template to adapt to your workplace?
twitter.com/ProfAliceS/status/1401546870510526466?s=19

I think looking at what the EHRC and Ofsted are doing might be useful. They've just ditched Stonewall.

I would ask if anyone had read the coverage about Stonewall and that you had read that govt departments may be ordered to withdraw from the scheme due to concerns that they were misrepresenting the law. And ask if anyone has read similar

Thank you all. Some useful further reading here.

Also look at who is ditching them - MoJ, ofsted, UCL, swim England... etc. Some of the comments they have made are quite damming.

Are there alternative bodies to partner with? Do you really need an external charity to review a D&I policy or could you draft your own? Can common sense and internal consultation produce a better document which balances all needs and perspectives? (I say this as an employee of a law firm which has an employment team as well as HR dept and still couldn’t draft its own D&I policy without Stonewall input - needless to say it refers to gender not sex as a protected characteristic).

am in the d&i team, and the young women in the group are all fully twaw, be kind

I sit on my workplace "Inclusivity Group" and I know there are full on TWAW women in it. I just focus on women and the protected characteristic of sex; if pushed I think I'd also speak about sexual preference. Emphasis on sex, not gender. And will also raise the issue of disability - the protected characteristic often overlooked in the current 'inclusivity' drive.

Also, the Equality At states (I wish I could find the clause) that there's no hierarchy of protected characteristics - race does not trump disability, which dies not trump sex, which does not trump religious belief. And so on.

That could be useful. As far as I understand it, it means that legally, any conflict of rights must be worked out & compromises found.

I was never aware of a women's network at my workplace. I recently did some searching on Yammer and discovered there had been a women's network until a few years ago. Looks like the Rainbow group made contact via yammer. After that there were a few TWAW messages from the women's network before it disappeared completely. Job done I guess.

That's sad, Eighties.

@Crouton19

Are there alternative bodies to partner with? Do you really need an external charity to review a D&I policy or could you draft your own? Can common sense and internal consultation produce a better document which balances all needs and perspectives? (I say this as an employee of a law firm which has an employment team as well as HR dept and still couldn’t draft its own D&I policy without Stonewall input - needless to say it refers to gender not sex as a protected characteristic).

We're not getting Stonewall to help draft our policies as such but the company is motivated to feature on the SW top 100 employers list...

Clearly, the advice mishy gave is horrible and the way she speaks about trans people is disgusting. I only hope it's an attempt at sarcasm, because it comes across as appallingly transphobic and vindictive.

Stick to reason and calm facts op. Perhaps look for an example of an organisation(s) similar to your own which have recently pulled out of the stonewall scheme. And see how many of the "top 100" have recently withdrawn.
Present these examples and raise the question of why they are trying to distance themselves now. Due diligence isn't hateful, it is a way for companies to avoid reputational damage. Your own views don't have to have anything to do with it, iyswim so keep it focused as to why it might be bad for your company if things implode.

Relevant Sex Matters link on 50 ways for a public body to leave Stonewall here (I paraphrase but it has useful information that can be adapted):

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4264075-Superb-Sex-Matters-Truth-and-Reconciliation-aka-How-to-leave-Stonewall-if-youre-a-public-body

Some of the orgs that have already left have cited cost / value as a reason. This might also be something to consider for your business, especially if you've been a member for a long time. What do they provide thats worth paying for year on year?