Media Releases
Ben Whur (he/him), Managing Director at Stonewall, said: ‘We welcome the new Government’s commitment to banning conversion practices. Each day that these abusive practices remain legal, our communities are put at risk.
‘Legislation was first committed to over 6 years ago and yet, despite relentless campaigning, it has failed to materialise. The Government needs to urgently publish a comprehensive Bill to ban these abhorrent practices once and for all.’
Notes to Editors
- The UK Government first outlined plans to ban conversion practices in 2018 – and introduced plans to bring forward a bill in the 2021 Queen’s Speech, which did not come about. For years, the UK Government has failed to protect our communities by failing to legislate and allowing these abusive practices to continue.
- A Report from Galop (2023) found that 1 in 5 (18%) LGBT+ people in the UK having been subjected to someone trying to change, ‘cure’ or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- The UK Government’s National LGBT Survey (2017) found that 2% of respondents had undergone conversion or reparative therapy in an attempt to 'cure' them of being LGBT, and a further 5% had been offered it. These stark figures represent tens-of-thousands of LGBTQ+ people whose lives have been affected by these abusive practices.
- In January 2024, The Scottish Government introduced a consultation on draft legislation to end conversion practices as a direct response to UK Government’s failure to introduce a legislative ban.
- You can find stories from victims and survivors of conversion practices here.
- You can find out more about the Ban Conversion Therapy campaign here.
We’re disappointed that the Court of Session in Scotland has found in favour of the UK Government’s unprecedented decision to use Section 35 to block the Gender Recognition Reform Bill from Royal Assent. This Bill was one of the most debated in the Scottish Parliament’s history and was passed by a resounding majority of MSPs drawn from all major Scottish parties.
This unfortunately means more uncertainty for trans people in Scotland, who will now be waiting once again, to see whether they will be able to have their gender legally recognised through a process that is in line with leading nations like Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.
Whatever happens next in discussions with the UK and Scottish Governments on this matter, Stonewall will continue to press all administrations to make progress on LGBTQ+ rights in line with leading international practice.
We’re deeply disappointed that the Scottish Government will not appeal the Court of Session ruling on the UK Government’s unprecedented decision to use Section 35 to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from Royal Assent. This Bill was one of the most debated in the Scottish Parliament’s history and was passed by a resounding majority of MSPs drawn from all major Scottish parties.
It is important to remember that the Court judgment did not rule that there was anything wrong with the Bill itself but only that the UK Government has the power to block the Bill from becoming law.
This unfortunately means, for now, trans people in Scotland will not be able to have their gender legally recognised through a process that is in line with an ever growing number of progressive nations like Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.
We were pleased to hear in the Cabinet Secretary’s statement to Parliament today that reform of the Gender Recognition Act remains Scottish Government policy and that the GRR Bill will not be withdrawn. Stonewall will continue to press all administrations to make progress on LGBTQ+ rights in line with leading international practice.
Stonewall continues to strengthen its Board of Trustees, with the appointment of a new Treasurer, Caroline Stockmann, and new Trustee Kushal Khandhar.
This comes following Catherine (Cat) Dixon being appointed Chair and Jean Vianney Cordeiro and Ayla Holdom being appointed Vice Chairs, creating an opportunity to recruit for a new Treasurer following Jean Vianney’s four years in the role. These appointments bring additional financial and commercial expertise to the board. As Treasurer, Caroline will chair Stonewall’s Finance, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.
Caroline trained with KPMG as an accountant. She is a Fellow of the ICAEW, holds the ICAEW Diploma in Charity Accounting and has carried out numerous board roles over the years, both executive and non-executive. She is a Non-Executive Director for a variety of organisations including TreasurySpring, Bank of England, Guildhall School Trust, the CIPD, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Oxfam International and KCSP, a multi-academy trust. She is also a member of the Advisory Panel of the Durham Law School, and a Durham University mentor. From February 2017 until April 2023 Caroline was Chief Executive of the Association of Corporate Treasurers, having previously been Chief Financial Officer of the British Council and Save the Children International. She has 30 years’ experience in senior finance, commercial and strategic posts at organisations including Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Cadbury Schweppes, Granada plc and Unilever/ Bestfoods.
Kushal Khandhar is a Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) responsible for BCG’s Global LGBTQ+ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work. He brings with him a decade of experience in management consulting and DEI, advising clients in six countries. Kushal holds an MSc in Investment Management from Henley Business School, University of Reading; is a CFA Charterholder, and a rank-holding Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Kushal was recognised as Trailblazer of the Year at the British LGBT Awards 2023 and was included in the OUTstanding Role Models list in 2020 and 2021. He joins the board in his personal capacity.
Welcoming the appointments, Cat Dixon (she/her), Chair of Stonewall, said: ‘We are so fortunate to benefit from the wide range of financial, commercial and leadership experience that Caroline and Kushal will bring to all of us at Stonewall. Stonewall has a unique and important role to play in advancing and protecting LGBTQ+ people’s human rights, in the UK and across the world. Their wisdom and insight from their lives and careers to date will put us in good stead to strengthen and secure our impact for the long term.
Jean Vianney Cordeiro (he/him), Vice Chair, said: "I joined Stonewall's Board of Trustees as Treasurer in 2020, a challenging time for many third sector organisations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am pleased to have played a role in stabilising the organisation during this critical period. As I pass the baton to Caroline, I am confident that her impressive experience, spanning both private and public sector organisations, will greatly enrich Stonewall's Board. I am excited to see the positive impact she will make and look forward to the charity’s continued success under her guidance."
Caroline Stockmann (she/her) said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Stonewall Board as Treasurer. Stonewall is an organisation I have admired and respected for many years, and meeting the people as I start to get to know the organisation better confirms to me my initial views. I’m really excited to be working with them! I believe there is nothing more important in this life than being free to be yourself, and I am saddened and ashamed when I see injustice in the world which prevents this for people. Stonewall’s work to make our society more inclusive is of critical importance to me personally, and I hope over time I can add value therefore, in collaboration with the rest of the Board and the wider Stonewall team.”
Kushal Khandhar (he/him) said: “Stonewall is an iconic institution that has been at the forefront of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. It has played a notable role in advancing rights for our community. But there is still a long way to go before we can celebrate. I’m thrilled to join the board of Stonewall and work with a great set of people to contribute to this important cause, one that is close to my heart. I would like to leave the world better than I got it. And I believe joining the board of Stonewall is a great step in that direction.”
What is important, above all, is that trans and gender-diverse children get the quality healthcare that they need and deserve. The Cass Review can play a vital role in achieving this aim, if its recommendations are implemented properly.
Many recommendations could make a positive impact – such as expanding provision of healthcare by moving away from a single national service towards a series of regional centres, while recognising that there are many different treatment pathways that trans children and young people might take. But without due care, training or further capacity in the system, others could lead to new barriers that prevent children and young people from accessing the care they need and deserve.
We urge NHS England and policymakers to read and digest the full report and consider Dr Cass' plea 'to remember the children and young people trying to live their lives and the families/ carers and clinicians doing their best to support them. All should be treated with compassion and respect.'
Everyone deserves timely access to holistic, high-quality healthcare and to be treated with dignity, privacy and respect throughout their treatment and care.
This includes trans, non-binary and intersex people who already face significant barriers and inequality when accessing NHS care.
The consultation closes on 25th June 2024, and will inform changes to the NHS Constitution that will be in place until 2035.
We have concerns about some of the changes proposed, particularly those likely to impact trans patients and healthcare professionals.
In the meantime, we’d like to remind everyone that these proposals are under consultation, and will not change how NHS healthcare is provided at this time. There is likely to be a lot said and written about these proposals, not all of which will be balanced.
We're looking carefully at the proposed changes and working with experts to understand their legal and practical impacts on trans, non-binary and intersex people and will share more with our communities in the coming weeks.
If you have concerns about your wellbeing or healthcare, please reach out for support.
Signed by/On behalf of:
Gendered Intelligence
The Kite Trust
LGBT+ Consortium
LGBT Foundation
Mermaids
Stonewall
TransActual
Trans Learning Partnership
Joint statement from Supportive Schools Campaign on RSHE Guidance
The well-being of all children and young people, so that they can live happy, safe lives, is our priority. We believe that age-appropriate teaching on relationships, sex and health supports this and should form an essential part of our school curriculum.
The majority of teachers agree: which is why schools are crying out for clear, inclusive guidance that empowers them to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for every child and young person. Without it, our society would fail to provide our children and young people with the knowledge and tools they need to understand themselves and safely navigate the world around them.
The Supportive Schools Campaign is clear that all children and young people have the right to an education free from discrimination, and LGBTQ+ children and young people are no exception.
As the LGBTQ+ community, we know and have lived through a school curriculum that seeks to suppress information about human diversity, rather than teach it. We are particularly concerned about the proposal to ban teaching about ‘the concept of gender identity’. This echoes the disastrous Section 28, which prohibited all LGBTQ+ teaching in schools, describing same-sex relationships as ‘pretended family relationships’. This legislation cast a long shadow on the lives of LGBTQ+ children and young people, who grew up with endemic bullying, and left teachers with no means of providing support.
Section 28 was rightly scrapped over 20 years ago, and is now widely looked back on with horror. The majority of us recognise today that it is wrong to sweep LGBTQ+ people’s lives under the carpet instead of providing the tools to strengthen children and young people’s understanding of a world where the existence of lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people – whether as our parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, neighbours, or children and young people – is just another part of everyday life. It is vital that children and young people are equipped to understand the diversity of our families and communities.
These proposals, if confirmed as Statutory Guidance, will leave trans children and young people without recognition or support and will perpetuate a world where they grow up feeling stigmatised and ashamed. Trans children and young people exist and deserve a safe and welcoming school environment. No child or young person should be discriminated against or excluded from education because of who they are.
The Supportive Schools Campaign is looking carefully at the proposed changes and working with partners across education, youth, and health to further understand the potential impacts of these proposals. We will share more with our communities about responding to this consultation in the coming weeks.
The Equality Act is world-class legislation that took almost a decade to develop, and has been working well for 14 years. Under the Act, trans people can legally access single-sex services based on their gender, and services can exclude trans people, whether or not they hold a Gender Recognition Certificate, if it is a proportionate thing to do to achieve a legitimate aim.
We believe the thresholds that the Equality Act sets are a proportionate bar for services to address if they are to use these single-sex exemptions. Violence affecting women and girls is a significant concern, including for many LGBTQ+ women.
It is vital that there is sustained and meaningful investment to ensure there are services which meet the full diversity of need across the country. However, it is not necessary to re-define sex in the Equality Act for service providers to provide a range of services. This is something they do routinely already.
Joint Statement with:
Stonewall
LGBT Consortium
Mermaids
TransActual
We are proud to announce Simon Blake OBE as our incoming Chief Executive.
Simon, who will begin his new role in September, brings to Stonewall a wealth of leadership experience in the charity and social justice space. He is currently Chief Executive at Mental Health First Aid England, a role he has held since October 2018, where he has been instrumental in setting the organisation’s strategic vision to improve the mental health of the nation through training and awareness.
Prior to this, Simon has been Chief Executive of the National Union of Students, Chief Executive of the young people’s sexual health charity Brook, and held a number of senior roles in education and health organisations including the Sex Education Forum. He is Chair of the Support After Suicide Partnership and a Non-Executive Director of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Simon is an ambassador for the Dying Matters Campaign, organised by Hospice UK, to change the way we talk about grieving. Simon is no stranger to the ongoing campaign for LGBTQ+ equality. Over 20 years ago whilst at the National Children’s Bureau he worked with Stonewall and others on the repeal of Section 28 and equalising the age of consent. Simon was Chair of Diversity Role Models from 2012 – 2015 and joined the Stonewall board as Deputy Chair in 2015 before retiring in 2021. Simon joins at a critical and exciting point in Stonewall’s history, as we prepare for the outcome of the UK General Election.
Stonewall has a proud 35 year history of being at the heart of progress for LGBTQ+ equality in law and policy, and for the last 20 years has supported thousands of leading workplaces to enable their LGBTQ+ colleagues to thrive. Simon’s impressive impact on policy and in communities across society will drive renewed energy behind LGBTQ+ equality in work, in policy, to make sure LGBTQ+ people are safe and free to be ourselves, everywhere we live our lives.
"We are incredibly proud to welcome our new CEO, Simon Blake OBE. LGBTQ+ people in the UK feel less safe and many no longer feel able to hold hands in public. Simon joins Stonewall at this pivotal and important time with a UK election in the coming weeks. Simon brings a deep understanding of the needs of LGBTQ+ people and communities, along with years of leadership experience and strong connections to Stonewall. After 35 years being at the heart of progress for LGBTQ+ we look forward to the future and our continued work to create a world where LGBTQ+ people are free to be who they are and feel safe."
- Cat Dixon (she/her), Chair of Trustees
"I was 15 years old when Stonewall was launched. A young gay man who grew up learning that at best, gay people were not good enough, and at worst we were dangerous and predatory. We were unequal in the eyes of the law and discrimination was blatant, expected and acceptable.
Since then Stonewall has played an enormous role in creating legislative and culture change for LGBTQ+ people, and wider society.
But we still have so far to go. Every single person deserves to live safely and confidently, free from prejudice and harm. All the evidence shows how much still needs to be done. In over 60 countries around the world homosexuality is still criminalised. In the UK, hate crime against lesbian, gay, bi and trans people has risen exponentially. LGBTQ+ children and people are still being bullied at school and hurt in their communities, and too many LGBTQ+ people fear being out at work.
This has to change. We cannot allow another generation to grow up with the prejudice, discrimination and fear that so many of us did, or for prejudice to blight the lives of LGBTQ+ communities. In an increasingly polarised world, empathy is built and change created through conversation, dialogue and alliances. Stonewall has always been at the vanguard of change. I am honoured to have been appointed as CEO and I am excited to work with, for and on behalf of our diverse LGBTQ+ communities."
- Simon Blake OBE (he/him), incoming CEO
We welcome the publication of the revised interim service specification for children experiencing gender incongruence. In particular, we welcome the way in which the specification now focuses more on the experiences, perspectives and best interests of trans and gender questioning children, and requires close collaborative working between children, families and the multi-disciplinary team.
We also welcome the specification being more clearly aligned with relevant international clinical standards, in particular WPATH Standards of Care 8. Despite this, there are some outstanding areas of significant concern:
The specification does not set targets for waiting times. Currently waiting times for a first appointment are over 3 years, which is unacceptable for a child in distress and for their families. Providers must be held to account for improving service access.
The specification is not clear enough that children with co-occuring conditions should not be disadvantaged or discriminated against when seeking gender affirming healthcare.
The specification states puberty blockers will only be prescribed to children who consent to participate in a medical research protocol. This cannot be right. Treatment should be based on clinical need, and coerced participation in research is unethical.
Finally, the specification rightly focuses on open and reflective practice, and recognizes the way in which a child’s gender identity can develop and change over time. However, it is not clear enough that care is also needed to ensure that practitioners do not pressure trans and gender questioning children towards a particular outcome.
Trans and gender questioning children and young people in the UK deserve the best possible standard of care. They deserve to get that care from well qualified, effective and compassionate professionals. And they deserve to get that care in a timely manner.