The charity’s CEO will meet campaigners who raised concerns about work with weapons manufacturers.
A leading LGBTQ+ charity has broken its silence to critics after staff - past and present - urged leaders to break off its relationships with weapons manufacturers.
Earlier this month TFN lifted the lid on Stonewall’s continued dealings with arms dealers and those involved with supplying weapons amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Those working at Stonewall, former employees, and campaigners broke with the charity and called for financial ties to companies such as with BAE, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and others.
The charity faced protests at its glitzy annual fundraising Equality Dinner, with its guest of honour, presenter Nicola Thorp, refusing to take part and instead joining picketers.
A number of these arms companies are members of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions (DCs) scheme, paying the charity thousands per year, with some promoted as LGBT-friendly employers as part of their top workplace lists.
Despite years of internal campaigning, staff feeling forced to leave, and increasing-pressure from groups such as Queers for Palestine, Stonewall said it could “hear” the concerns but no action has been taken.
They said earlier this month: “All LGBTQ+ people deserve inclusive workplaces, regardless of who their chosen employer is. We hear people’s concerns about some of the organisations we help with their diversity work through training and service provision.
“Advocacy has always come in many forms and there are many legitimate ways to try and achieve change, including through direct action. Stonewall is committed to having an open dialogue with those that both agree and disagree with us across a wide range of issues and will always strive to work alongside groups across the LGBTQ+ sector to advance equality for all LGBTQ+ people.”
Now, the charity has responded to those who have directly contacted CEO Simon Blake.
Campaigners who had contacted the charity’s management about their tolerance of arms companies this week received a boilerplate response from the CEO’s officer.
In the copy-and-paste letter seen by TFN, Mr Blake’s office said Queers for Palestine had been invited to a meeting.
It adds: “Stonewall provides training and services to 600+ organisations globally to improve workplace inclusion for hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ people from a wide range of backgrounds, with a wide range of identities, beliefs and talents. LGBTQ+ people work in all sectors and for all sorts of reasons, sometimes through choice and sometimes through necessity and all LGBTQ+ people deserve to work in inclusive workplaces.
“We acknowledge the concerns that people have raised about some of the organisations we provide services to.
“We appreciate the wide and varied views that exist within the community, and the wide and varied tools used to bring awareness to those views.
“Advocacy has always come in many different forms, using many different tactics. Since the early 1900’s, direct action has been a common feature across all progressive movements from LGBTQ+ rights to climate action to the women's suffragette movement, all in the pursuit of equality. Simon recently shared his views about the importance of different approaches on our website.
“Open and constructive dialogue is always beneficial to identify common ground even when there is not consensus. Simon invited the Queers for Palestine campaign convenors to a meeting to discuss their concerns.
“We will always strive to work alongside groups across the LGBTQ+ sector to advance equality for all LGBTQ+ people.”
