Like many people I used to have some degree of respect for Stonewall. They played a major part in bringing about legal equality for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people and for that I believe that they deserved respect. But they deserve respect no longer. Stonewall’s decision to hitch their cart to the wilder shores of the gender identity cult has turned them from a group worthy of respect into a group that deserves opprobrium. Stonewall deserves this opprobrium because of the way that its policies have sidelined women, helped to destroy women only spaces, sidelined the concerns of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals and acted as a major force in the censorship of debate in the areas of sex and gender.
One of the environments where such censorship of views that go against the views of the Stonewall supported gender identity cult is most damaging and harmful is in the world of academia. The academic world is one where ideally there should be absolute freedom to debate any issue, a place where different concepts can be explored without fear of censure. Academies should be environments where academics do not have to fear losing their jobs by speaking up against the ideas pushed by powerful lobby groups like Stonewall.
Unfortunately, Stonewall’s influence over academic establishments is very strong. Stonewall’s pushing of the cult of trans in colleges and universities has created a situation where up till now it has become very difficult for academics to debate matters such as detransitioning or even ask questions about the nature of the cult of trans.
Thankfully despite Stonewall having a very great influence over Britain’s seats of higher learning, one university has decided that they want nothing further to do with Stonewall. The University College of London has come to the conclusion that being associated with Stonewall is harmful for free academic enquiry.
According to a report in the Guardian, the UCL had a debate on this issue and although the Diversity, Inclusion and Equality group wanted to remain associated with Stonewall both the UCL management and the Academic Board voted to disassociate themselves from Stonewall. This means that no longer will UCL have any dealings with Stonewall’s ‘Workplace Equality Index’ or Stonewall’s ‘Diversity Champion’ schemes.
The Guardian said:
University College London has become the first university to formally cut ties to the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, saying its membership of Stonewall’s programmes could inhibit academic freedom and discussion around sex and gender.
UCL announced that it would end its involvement with Stonewall’s workplace equality index, which rates employers on their policies, and its diversity schemes, following a recommendation from the university’s most senior academics.
I say full marks to these academics. They must have been under tremendous political and other pressures from the DIE group and the leftists in the university to keep the status quo. I’m pleased to see a group of academics having the balls to say no to the now pernicious group that is Stonewall.
The Guardian added that it was free speech concerns that carried the day.
“In weighing up all opinions in this debate, UCL’s senior leadership team has accepted the academic board’s advice about the fundamental need to uphold academic freedom and freedom of speech in an academic context, recognising that a formal institutional commitment to Stonewall may have the effect of inhibiting academic work and discussion within UCL about sex and gender identity,” the university said.
The UCL was correct to make this decision and correct to cite reasons of free academic enquiry for doing so. It would be intolerable to ask academics to consider matters that trans rights activists might consider contentious whilst always having to look over their shoulders and have to think ‘what would Stonewall say’? Continuing the association with Stonewall would have meant that academics would be tempted to self censor in order to remain in Stonewall’s good books.
Academics must be free to engage in open debate and research that is not inhibited by the presence of groups like Stonewall. Let us hope that UCL is merely the first of many academic institutions who are going to take the decision to kick Stonewall out of their establishments.
I don’t actually think this is the right decision, within my personal state of knowledge pandering to Transphobia is not going to enhance or support the LGB Equality and Rights.
All charities can be criticised but Stonewall have been so instrumental in countering homophobia, and the task is not completed yet. Who else is there?
Please bear in mind that the gender critical movement includes campaigners especially from the USA on the Religious Right who also want to undermine LGB rights and equality.
Personally I believe that the word ‘transphobia’ is just a snarl word used to shut down debate, just as ‘racist’ or ‘Islamophobe’ and ‘fascist’ are also used in a similar manner. The gender identity cult should be able to be debated but there are many trans rights activists who do not want that debate, they want their ideology to be accepted without question.
Stonewall have achieved everything they set out to achieve with regards equal rights for LBG people. To all intents and purposes the task has been completed.
I disagree that the gender critical movement is rooted on the US Right. There are plenty of people from the Left and from classical Feminism who have been asking awkward questions about the cult of trans since it first appeared in the late 1970’s. From my reading of the various gender critical writers, they are primarily concerned with protecting the rights of women and protecting the rights of those who are same or both sex attracted.