Sinn Fein department defends paying public funds to LGBTQ+ lobby group Stonewall
Stormont’s finance department has defended paying public money to controversial LGBTQ+ lobby group Stonewall – despite dozens of government bodies across the UK ditching the group in recent years amid concerns about impartiality and the advice issued by the group on trans issues.
The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) is one of the last major government bodies in the UK to continue to pay the lobby group for advice.
Last month it was reported in The Times newspaper that every major government department in London has left its ‘diversity scheme’ after a string of controversies over gender ideology.
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said that given a recent NHS England review which “highlighted many of the dangers of the trans agenda” there is no excuse for NICS to still be part of the scheme.
In 2022 the DUP said its then economy minister Gordon Lyons had been ignored when he told the previous SF finance minister that any decision to fund Stonewall should be taken by the full Stormont Executive.
NICS pays an annual fee of £2,575 to the lobby group for its ‘Diversity Champions’ programme, which entitles it to enter the ‘Workplace Equality Index’ – a league table of organisations, run and ranked by Stonewall based on how well they meet its aims.
There have been widespread concerns that the schemes have encouraged both public bodies and private companies to go beyond the law in order to receive the group’s endorsement.
An effective ‘self-ID’ policy has been introduced across swathes of the public sector, despite that never having been legislated for. Self-ID means men who say they are women are treated as such, even without a gender recognition certificate – a document approving a legal sex change.
The adoption of this policy – often inspired by Stonewall and other like-minded groups – has prompted a number of workplace disputes across the UK. These include an ongoing case in Scotland where a nurse was suspended after objecting to a male doctor, who identifies as a trans woman and claims to be biologically female, using women’s changing facilities.
Mr Gaston recently discovered that NICS has renewed its membership of the scheme.
He told the News Letter: “Stonewall is a widely discredited organisation and the links between it and officialdom are – thankfully – history as far as the rest of the UK is concerned.
“Its so-called ‘Diversity Champions Programme’ and ‘Workplace Equality Index’ once brought million of pounds into Stonewall’s coffers.
“However, as it became clear that these schemes were little more than a front for trans activists and a means whereby the taxpayer was being taken for a ride, public bodies dropped them like a hot potato in the face of public outrage.
“The Department of Finance, however, has advised that the NICS remains in the scheme. This revelation sheds some light on why the finance minister introduced a so-called ‘inclusive language guide’ in the civil service which seeks to discourage the use of words like wife, husband, father and mother. This ‘gender neutral’ language madness is a hallmark of Stonewall.
“Not only does Stonewall push this agenda but – through the Diversity Champions Programme and Workplace Equality Index – it charges bodies for the privilege.
“It was the early 2020s when the public got wise to the Stonewall racket and demanded change. That resulted in many members of Stonewall’s programmes not renewing their membership with even the BBC deciding to sever their links.”
He called on Finance Minister John O’Dowd to cut ties with the scheme.
Stonewall was asked for a response to Mr Gaston’s comments last week, but so far has not commented. It has in the past denied misleading employers through its advice on transgender issues.
Stonewall has been involved in controversy here before. Clothing store Primark faced a backlash in 2018 after it created a Pride-themed window display to support the organisation, which it said it was “proud” to do.
A Department of Finance spokesperson said: “The civil service is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive civil service that reflects the society we serve.
“To successfully achieve this requires engagement with a wide range of internal and external organisations, which includes Stonewall, recognised for its work with, and training for, public and private sector employers in helping to create LGBTQ+ inclusive and welcoming working environments.
“The civil service has been a member of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme since July 2018.”
It said the fee “allows employers to access advice, support and resources in relation to creating LGBTQ+ inclusive working environments”.