Press Release

Christian Concern backs call for urgent public inquiry into influence of Stonewall

Christian Concern has written to the head of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), backing calls for an urgent public inquiry into the influence of Stonewall across UK institutions.

Writing to Lord Jonathan Evans, the head of the independent advisory body that advises the Prime Minister on ethical standards, Christian Concern has called for urgent action following an exodus of withdrawals from Stonewall’s Diversity Champion’s scheme.

The letter follows campaign group Sex Matters‘ call for a public inquiry and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission Ofsted ending their participation in Stonewall’s scheme.

This week, the Ministry of Justice has also withdrawn, citing Stonewall’s approach to free speech and what they called its ‘dubious’ training.

Channel 4 and a number of universities have also ended their membership due to ‘disquiet’ over Stonewall tactics.

Today’s judgment in today’s Maya Forstarter case also directly contradicts the views of Stonewall, which advises over 850 major employers in the UK, including many government departments, universities, police forces and schools, covering 25% of the UK workforce.

In the letter, chief executive Andrea Williams outlines a series of Christian Legal Centre cases from the past ten years that present the impact of Stonewall’s LGBT ideology on Christian beliefs in the workplace.

Cases include two ten-year-olds who were excluded from their school for requesting not to take part in their school’s LGBT event, and the case of Rev. Dr Bernard Randall who lost his job for a sermon which suggested that people should be free to disagree with LGBT ideology.

The letter states: ‘There is now an urgent need for an inquiry into how these organisations have affected public standards. It is beyond question that their influence has been damaging for standards in public life.’

The letter also outlines how the Principles of Public Life have been undermined by the adoption of transgender ideology, stating:

‘If holders of public office are accountable to the public, then this is no longer evident in many institutions given the vast influence that LGBT organisations and ideology now hold over them. Government responses to public participation in its consultations on matters such as on same-sex marriage and Relationships and Sex Education, show that principled public opposition is disregarded.’

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said: “The past few weeks has seen an extraordinary exodus from Stonewall’s Diversity Champion Scheme.

“Organisations and bodies at the highest levels are beginning to see the extent to which Stonewall has captured their institutions and the lengths they are prepared to go to go to silence religious beliefs, freedom of speech and any criticism of its ideology.

“Yet this exodus has only scratched the surface of the hold Stonewall has on so much of our public life.

“Too many Christians have been faced with the choice of standing by their beliefs or losing their jobs because of the grip of Stonewall’s ever expanding LGBT ideology has in the workplace.  

“We call on Lord Evans to look closely at the evidence and for a full public inquiry.”