Diversity Role Models and Stonewall: coming soon to a school near you (June 2026 announcement)

[BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth]

I thought I would start a new thread for this, after trying to revive an old thread (from 2024) to notify people that Stonewall has just announced a new partnership with Diversity Role Models, 2 June, 2026.

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/news/diversity-role-models-joins-the-stonewall-family-to-expand-support-for-schools-and-young-people-across-the-uk

Diversity Role Models joins the Stonewall family to expand support for schools and young people across the UK.

London, United Kingdom, June 2, 2026
Diversity Role Models and Stonewall have today announced a new chapter in their shared commitment to tackling bullying and helping schools create environments where every young person feels valued, respected and able to thrive.
^^
Under the new arrangement, Stonewall will support Diversity Role Models’ work as its sole member organisation, providing operational support, national infrastructure and additional resources to help extend Diversity Role Models’ educational programmes to more schools and young people across the UK.

Background to Diversity Role Models (previous MN threads), from 2024 and 2020 (I did find some of this difficult reading!)

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens%3Cu%3Erights/5036673-diversity-role-models-charity

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3943889-Asda-partners-with-Diversity-Role-Models-and-gets-angry-response-to-love-has-no-age-limit-message-Edited-by-MNHQ-at-OPS-REQUEST?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Thanks to @MrsOvertonsWindow @Ereshkigalangcleg for pointing me in the right direction.

I haven't seen anything yet in Safe Schools Alliance or Transgender Trend websites, but it was just announced today. I'm sure they will be on top of things, but if anyone here is in contact with them, it might be worth mentioning to them.

Just bumping this. It's going to be something to watch out for, especially with the new RSHE from September. Anyone with school-age children especially, be aware of this. Stonewall is shifting again.

Well done for highlighting this.

Fortunately, in the current climate, Stonewall is going to be scrutinised, relentlessly. It won't stop them, of course, but it has clipped their wings.

It'll be interesting to see the content.

Wow. That press release is a lot of words saying absolutely nothing.

I wonder what they’re really trying to sneak in to schools??

Diversity Role Models were shown to be very clearly " inappropriate" - putting it mildly, and those threads from 2020 and 2024 demonstrate just how bad they were. I don't know if they are the same people running it now (others on here will know, no doubt), but they must be watched closely. The new RSHE guidance will help parents, but there are still too many activists in schools.

Stonewall is clearly looking for new targets, or they wouldn't be teaming up with this group. Parents have long memories where their children are concerned. Stonewall must think we're all stupid.

Stonewall? That must be a difficult brand to sell these days. The Delorean of the equality and diversity world.

It looks as though the aim might be to use other brands in order to infiltrate and gain a foothold again.

This sounds very dangerous , are Stonewall getting desperate?

In three words, looks like it!

I thought following DfE statutory updated PSHE guidance that schools would be moving towards designing and delivering their own in-house policy. With Stonewall partnering with Diversity Role Models they'll no doubt continue to offer what some schools will consider an easy option. But schools must still be obligated to ensure these lessons are aligned with the statutory guidance?

Not desperate enough to rebrand, though, like Windscale becoming Sellafield, which Made All The Difference In The World😏
Sellawall? Stonefield?

Just as an aside, in my recent searches for Stonewall, this thread and my other thread on the Proud Employers scheme have been coming up in the top ten results, so it will obviously grab somebody's attention! For better or for worse.

Do they really think that people won't be demanding to see the content?

Safe schools alliance, sex matters, parents in general?

And that it won't be plastered across social media, and also newspapers across the land?

I honestly can't imagine them even being capable of coming up with some content that isn't woefully biased, a threat to safeguarding and logically illiterate.

Almost looking forward to it...

Ha! This made me laugh. I lived near Windscale/Sellafield - those glow in the dark Ready Brek adverts applied to us!

Yes, I wonder if they'll try a cunning renaming or rebranding.

Three Mile Island? Fukushima?😀

Jesus, this is the bullying groupthink bollocks that killed poor Henry Novak.

Time to just say no. If enough of us point at the naked emperor, surely they cannot force a whole 51% of the populace to swallow this insulting horseshit.

I’m so inured to being called names for seeing the truth.

Well, look what I missed the first time I read (very quickly) the Stonewall announcement about Diversity Role Models:

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/news/diversity-role-models-joins-the-stonewall-family-to-expand-support-for-schools-and-young-people-across-the-uk

"Simon Blake OBE, Chief Executive of Stonewall, served as Chair of Diversity Role Models over a decade ago, during the organisation’s early years, and has remained closely connected to its work ever since.
^^
He said: I have seen first-hand the extraordinary impact Diversity Role Models has had in schools and in the lives of young people...." [my bold]

I wonder, did he see what they tried to get embedded into ASDA in 2020?

Direct link to Diversity Role Models
https://www.diversityrolemodels.org/

For the schools, teachers and young people who know Diversity Role Models, this announcement represents continuity as much as it does growth. The same programmes, the same people and the same educational approach will continue. They will now do so with greater operational capacity and the support of one of the UK’s most respected LGBTQ+ organisations behind them.

'one of the UK’s most respected LGBTQ+ organisations'??
Have they no self-awareness/shame? [rhetorical q]

Perhaps schools would do more to ‘expand support’ for young people by providing more breakfast and after school support and more teaching assistants?

I've come to the conclusion that they really have no other modus operandi. They will continue to try to beat us over the head with the same sticks until the sticks break. Then, they'll just grab another stick.

A bit like hampsters in a wheel.

I see they have an all male team at diversity role models 🙄 https://www.diversityrolemodels.org/who-we-are/meet-the-diversity-role-models-team

Very diverse if we just ignore the half of the world that is female

This is so chilling. The purposeful targeting of children. How are they being allowed to do this?

The last thing I want is for these people to go into schools, but the silver lining is that it suddenly provides much more sunlight.

Spotlight actually.

And here he is talking about how ridiculous it would be for him to to use male spaces, because he's been using women's spaces since 2012 - and no one has challenged him!

www.instagram.com/p/DYnU2ygAfqO/

It looks like the Diversity Role Models roster of their Meet the Team may be somewhat out of date.

https://www.dystonia.org.uk/alex-feis-bryce

Alex Feis-Bryce, who is listed as the CEO of Diversity Role Models, is also? or now CEO of Dystonia UK. His blurb there states that his is the former CEO of Diversity Role Models.

It appears that Jac Bastian was still working for Diversity Role Models, as at 16 March 2026.

This from Abi Preston, Director of Education & SEND, Children's Services, London Borough of Hillingdon:

Invite to Diversity Role Models Leadership Forum
Diversity Role Models are putting together a Leadership Forum to bring together those working to create safer, more inclusive schools in a friendly, confidential termly meeting. The Forum is a welcoming space for school and middle leaders from all settings, including Heads, Deputies, PSHE leads, and those who support them. It offers the opportunity to connect, share practical ideas, and discuss shared challenges through open, informal, and confidential conversation.
^^
If you'd be interested in attending the registration link is here: [link included in webpage]
If you have any queries, please contact Jac Bastian, Chief Education Officer at
[email included in webpage]

https://leap.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/15347/16-March-2026