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Stonewall (UK)
Encyclopedia
Stonewall is a lesbian, gay
and bisexual rights charity in the United Kingdom
named after the Stonewall Inn
of Stonewall riots
fame. Now the largest gay equality organization not only in the UK but in Europe, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others lobbying
against section 28
of the Local Government Act
. Its founders include Sir Ian McKellen
, Lisa Power (MBE), Matthew Parris
and Michael Cashman
.
Although Stonewall is a lobbying organisation rather than membership organisation, it has diversified into policy development for the rights of lesbian, gay
and bisexual people after Labour came to power in 1997. It remains a lobbying organisation rather than a membership organisation. Chief Executive Ben Summerskill has commented that Stonewall "has never pretended to be a democratic member organisation. We have never said we speak for all lesbian, gay and bisexual people."
Stonewall GB is based in London
. Stonewall Scotland has offices in Edinburgh and also includes work on transgender
within its remit. Stonewall Cymru is in Cardiff and north Wales.
, it saw amendments to the 2002 Adoption and Children Bill which treated lesbian and gay couples in the same way as heterosexuals, and Mason was awarded an OBE
"for services to homosexual rights". Under its current Chief Executive Ben Summerskill
it was in successful parliamentary campaigns to:
Earlier high profile work was backing legal test cases in the European Court of Human Rights
. These included:
for seventeen years, approached Stonewall. The discovery of a letter had led to his sexual orientation being disclosed and he was subjected to a humiliating investigation and thrown out of the army.
In 1998, Stonewall was approached by Jeanette Smith, who had been thrown out of the Royal Air Force
, and Duncan Lustig Prean, a Royal Navy
commander who was being dismissed. They asked Stonewall to arrange legal representation, leading to a long battle through the courts with Graham Grady and John Beckett also joining the case. At that time there was no Human Rights Act
. Although the judges in the High Court
and Court of Appeal
said that they felt the ban was not justified they could not overturn it and Stonewall had to take the case to Strasbourg
and the European Court of Human Rights
before winning it. The judgment of the Court was a resounding vindication of the rights of lesbians and gay men and the Labour government of the time immediately announced that they would lift the ban. This took place on 12 January 2000, and a new general code of sexual conduct was introduced.
In February 2005, the Royal Navy
joined Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme, followed in November 2006 by the Royal Air Force
and by the British Army
, the largest of the three services, in June 2008, to promote good working conditions for all existing and potential employees and to ensure equal treatment for those who are lesbian, gay and bisexual.
At London
Pride
2008, all three armed services marched in uniform for the first time. All three services openly recruit at gay pride
events, recognise civil partnerships as equal to marriage and enjoy support for homosexual personnel at the very highest levels.
The British Army requires all soldiers to undergo Equality and Diversity training as part of their Military Annual Training Tests and stress tolerance, specifically citing homosexual examples in training videos, in line with the British Army Core Values and Standards, including 'Respect for Others' and 'Appropriate Behaviour'. It considers its core values and standards as central to being a professional soldier.
In 2009, the tenth anniversary of the change of law that permitted homosexuality in the armed forces, it was generally accepted by all that the lifting of the ban had no perceivable impact on the operational effectiveness on a military that still considers itself world class. The anniversary was widely celebrated, including in the Army's in-house publication Soldier Magazine
, with a series of articles including the July 2009 cover story and articles in many national newspapers. Soldiers and Officers have given public support to Stonewall's campaign against school bullying, "It Gets Better...".
Proud2Serve is a support group that provides advice and support to serving and prospective members of the British Armed Forces. Stonewall continues to work with all three services in their role as diversity champions.
, Royal Air Force
, British Army
and MI5
in the public sector.
In 2005 Stonewall launched an Education for All programme, supported by a coalition of over 70 organisations, to tackle homophobia in schools Stonewall's education work also includes the slogan 'Some people are gay. Get over it!' which has been seen on billboards, tube carriages and buses across Britain
Stonewall has also produced research reports in areas such as homophobic hate crime, lesbian health and homophobia in football.
of OutRage!
has accused Stonewall of endorsing discrimination by holding champagne receptions for celebrities and politicians supported by HSBC
, despite the company being sued by Peter Lewis in 2005 for unfair dismissal on grounds of sexual orientation. Although Lewis lost this case, he expressed gratitude to Stonewall for its support. Stonewall supporters note Peter Tatchell's own high-ticket fundraising activities in, for example, July 2007.
In October 2008, the Stonewall "Journalist of the Year" award
nominee Julie Bindel
was described as transphobic by some trans rights groups, for her supportive writing about lesbian issues. This led a protest at the awards event at which protest organisers claimed 150 activists. A much smaller counter protest in support of Bindel by the London Feminist Network comprised less than a dozen protesters. Comedian Amy Lame
, nominee for Entertainer of the Year, considered the protest "insulting to Stonewall, to be honest. I think Stonewall has achieved so much for so many people – gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender – all of those people have been included in laws they helped to change." Bindel has apologised over the tone of her Guardian article entitled "Gender Benders Beware", but stands by her view that people should question the basis of the diagnosis of male psychiatrists, "at a time when gender polarisation and homophobia work hand-in-hand".
Stonewall came under criticism in September 2010 by some LGBT activists including Michael Cashman
, Christine Burns
and Sir Ian McKellen
for declining to declare its position on gay marriage equality before it had consulted its supporters. Stonewall has since changed its remit and now supports equal marriage for lesbian and gay people.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and bisexual rights charity in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
named after the Stonewall Inn
Stonewall Inn
The Stonewall Inn, often shortened to Stonewall is an American bar in New York City and the site of the Stonewall riots of 1969, which are widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for gay and lesbian rights in the United...
of Stonewall riots
Stonewall riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City...
fame. Now the largest gay equality organization not only in the UK but in Europe, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
against section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
of the Local Government Act
Local Government Act 1988
The United Kingdom Local Government Act of 1988 was famous for introducing the controversial Section 28 into law. In terms of the section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, Local Authorities were prohibited from promoting in specified category of schools, "the teaching of the acceptability of...
. Its founders include Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
, Lisa Power (MBE), Matthew Parris
Matthew Parris
Matthew Francis Parris is a UK-based journalist and former Conservative politician.-Early life and family:...
and Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman is a British former actor, now a Labour politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999.- Acting :...
.
Although Stonewall is a lobbying organisation rather than membership organisation, it has diversified into policy development for the rights of lesbian, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and bisexual people after Labour came to power in 1997. It remains a lobbying organisation rather than a membership organisation. Chief Executive Ben Summerskill has commented that Stonewall "has never pretended to be a democratic member organisation. We have never said we speak for all lesbian, gay and bisexual people."
Stonewall GB is based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Stonewall Scotland has offices in Edinburgh and also includes work on transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
within its remit. Stonewall Cymru is in Cardiff and north Wales.
Accomplishments
Stonewall's most high profile achievements have been in parliamentary lobbying. Under Director Angela MasonAngela Mason
Angela Margaret Mason CBE is a British civil servant and activist, and a former director of the UK-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender lobbying organisation Stonewall...
, it saw amendments to the 2002 Adoption and Children Bill which treated lesbian and gay couples in the same way as heterosexuals, and Mason was awarded an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
"for services to homosexual rights". Under its current Chief Executive Ben Summerskill
Ben Summerskill
Ben Jeffrey Peter Summerskill OBE is a British businessman and journalist, who is the Chief Executive of the UK-based Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual equality organisation Stonewall, now the largest gay equality body in Europe...
it was in successful parliamentary campaigns to:
- repeal Section 28Section 28Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
of the Local Government ActLocal Government Act 1988The United Kingdom Local Government Act of 1988 was famous for introducing the controversial Section 28 into law. In terms of the section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, Local Authorities were prohibited from promoting in specified category of schools, "the teaching of the acceptability of...
(2003), - recognise anti-gay hate crimes, through the Criminal Justice Act 2003Criminal Justice Act 2003The Criminal Justice Act 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a wide ranging measure introduced to modernise many areas of the criminal justice system in England and Wales and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland and Northern Ireland....
, - introduce the Civil Partnership Act 2004Civil Partnership Act 2004The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Bill for this Act was introduced by the Labour government and supported by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition. The Act grants civil partnerships in the United Kingdom with rights and...
giving gay and lesbian couples a legal framework equivalent to civil marriage, - introduce the 2007 Sexual Orientation Regulations, protections against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services secured through the Equality Act 2006Equality Act 2006The Equality Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom covering the United Kingdom. The 2006 Act is a precursor to the Equality Act 2010, which combines all of the equality enactments within Great Britain and provide comparable protections across all equality strands...
. - equalise treatment of lesbian parents and their children in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008The Bill's discussion in Parliament did not permit time to debate whether it should extend abortion rights under the Abortion Act 1967 to also cover Northern Ireland...
- introduce an offence of incitement to homophobic hatred in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which makes significant changes in many areas of the criminal justice system in England and Wales and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland and Northern Ireland...
, matching existing protections around race and religion.
Earlier high profile work was backing legal test cases in the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
. These included:
- Teenager Chris MorrisChris Morris (activist)Chris Morris is an activist who, with Euan Sutherland, successfully challenged the British Government in the European Court of Human Rights and secured an equal age of consent for sexual activity between males...
, who successfully challenged the unequal age of consentAge of consentWhile the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
laws. - Duncan Lustig-Prean, Jeanette Smith, Graham Grady, John Beckett who successfully challenged the ban on homosexual people in the armed forces.
- Lisa Grant, who (unsuccessfully) sued her employer, South West TrainsSouth West TrainsSouth West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
, for equal pay and benefits.
Stonewall 'outs' the armed forces
One of Stonewall’s first and longest campaigns was to lift the ban on lesbians and gay men serving in the armed forces, a campaign finally won in 1999. It began when Robert Ely, who had served in the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
for seventeen years, approached Stonewall. The discovery of a letter had led to his sexual orientation being disclosed and he was subjected to a humiliating investigation and thrown out of the army.
In 1998, Stonewall was approached by Jeanette Smith, who had been thrown out of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and Duncan Lustig Prean, a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
commander who was being dismissed. They asked Stonewall to arrange legal representation, leading to a long battle through the courts with Graham Grady and John Beckett also joining the case. At that time there was no Human Rights Act
Human Rights Act 1998
The Human Rights Act 1998 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000. Its aim is to "give further effect" in UK law to the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights...
. Although the judges in the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
and Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
said that they felt the ban was not justified they could not overturn it and Stonewall had to take the case to Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
before winning it. The judgment of the Court was a resounding vindication of the rights of lesbians and gay men and the Labour government of the time immediately announced that they would lift the ban. This took place on 12 January 2000, and a new general code of sexual conduct was introduced.
In February 2005, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
joined Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme, followed in November 2006 by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, the largest of the three services, in June 2008, to promote good working conditions for all existing and potential employees and to ensure equal treatment for those who are lesbian, gay and bisexual.
At London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
2008, all three armed services marched in uniform for the first time. All three services openly recruit at gay pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
events, recognise civil partnerships as equal to marriage and enjoy support for homosexual personnel at the very highest levels.
The British Army requires all soldiers to undergo Equality and Diversity training as part of their Military Annual Training Tests and stress tolerance, specifically citing homosexual examples in training videos, in line with the British Army Core Values and Standards, including 'Respect for Others' and 'Appropriate Behaviour'. It considers its core values and standards as central to being a professional soldier.
In 2009, the tenth anniversary of the change of law that permitted homosexuality in the armed forces, it was generally accepted by all that the lifting of the ban had no perceivable impact on the operational effectiveness on a military that still considers itself world class. The anniversary was widely celebrated, including in the Army's in-house publication Soldier Magazine
Soldier Magazine
SOLDIER Magazine, the official monthly publication of the British Army, is produced by an in-house team and published by the Ministry of Defence...
, with a series of articles including the July 2009 cover story and articles in many national newspapers. Soldiers and Officers have given public support to Stonewall's campaign against school bullying, "It Gets Better...".
Proud2Serve is a support group that provides advice and support to serving and prospective members of the British Armed Forces. Stonewall continues to work with all three services in their role as diversity champions.
Current work
Stonewall's work now focuses on working with organisations to bring equality to gay, lesbian and bisexual people at home, at school and at work. Stonewall’s Diversity Champions good practice programme for major employers has risen from 100 members to over 550. Organisations now engaged in the programme, between them employing over four million people, range from Deloitte and American Express in the private sector to the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
in the public sector.
In 2005 Stonewall launched an Education for All programme, supported by a coalition of over 70 organisations, to tackle homophobia in schools Stonewall's education work also includes the slogan 'Some people are gay. Get over it!' which has been seen on billboards, tube carriages and buses across Britain
Stonewall has also produced research reports in areas such as homophobic hate crime, lesbian health and homophobia in football.
Events
Stonewall holds a number of high profile events including the Stonewall Awards, the Stonewall Equality Dinner and the Brighton Equality Walk.Controversies
Peter TatchellPeter Tatchell
Peter Gary Tatchell is an Australian-born British political campaigner best known for his work with LGBT social movements...
of OutRage!
OutRage!
OutRage! is a British LGBT rights group that was formed to fight for equal rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in comparison to heterosexual people. It is a group which has at times been criticised for outing individuals who wanted to keep their homosexuality secret and for being...
has accused Stonewall of endorsing discrimination by holding champagne receptions for celebrities and politicians supported by HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, despite the company being sued by Peter Lewis in 2005 for unfair dismissal on grounds of sexual orientation. Although Lewis lost this case, he expressed gratitude to Stonewall for its support. Stonewall supporters note Peter Tatchell's own high-ticket fundraising activities in, for example, July 2007.
In October 2008, the Stonewall "Journalist of the Year" award
Stonewall Awards
The Stonewall Awards is an annual event to celebrate people who have had a positive impact on the lives of British LGBT people. The event was first held in 2006 at the Royal Academy of Arts and from 2007 were held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.-2006:...
nominee Julie Bindel
Julie Bindel
Julie Bindel is an English writer, feminist and co-founder of the group Justice For Women, which opposes violence against women from a feminist viewpoint....
was described as transphobic by some trans rights groups, for her supportive writing about lesbian issues. This led a protest at the awards event at which protest organisers claimed 150 activists. A much smaller counter protest in support of Bindel by the London Feminist Network comprised less than a dozen protesters. Comedian Amy Lame
Amy Lamé
Amy Lamé is an American-born, British performer, writer, television and radio presenter and producer.-Biography:Lamé was born Amy Caddle and raised in Keyport, New Jersey. She attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and moved to London in 1992...
, nominee for Entertainer of the Year, considered the protest "insulting to Stonewall, to be honest. I think Stonewall has achieved so much for so many people – gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender – all of those people have been included in laws they helped to change." Bindel has apologised over the tone of her Guardian article entitled "Gender Benders Beware", but stands by her view that people should question the basis of the diagnosis of male psychiatrists, "at a time when gender polarisation and homophobia work hand-in-hand".
Stonewall came under criticism in September 2010 by some LGBT activists including Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman is a British former actor, now a Labour politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999.- Acting :...
, Christine Burns
Christine Burns
Christine Burns MBE is a British political activist best known for her work with Press for Change. Burns was awarded an MBE in 2004 in recognition of work representing transgender people.-Career:...
and Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
for declining to declare its position on gay marriage equality before it had consulted its supporters. Stonewall has since changed its remit and now supports equal marriage for lesbian and gay people.
See also
- LGBT rights in the United Kingdom
- List of LGBT rights organisations
- Sexual orientation and military serviceSexual orientation and military serviceThe military forces of the world have differing approaches to the enlistment of homosexual and bisexual individuals. The armed forces of most developed countries have now removed policies excluding non-heterosexual individuals...