Editor of Lesbian lifestyle magazine DIVA Jane Czyzselska (who has also written for the Horse and Hound!) with help from fellow pen pusher Ben Summerskill of “gay equality group” Stonewall have dedicated an entire page in the Guardian’s Comment is Free to launching a rather scathing and hollow attack on fellow trooper Peter Tatchell entitled “Take Pride in Gay Respectability”.

She has decided to compare the likes of money-mad Stonewall to the legendary American gay rights personality and the subject of a new Hollywood film – Harvey Milk.  She believes “if he were alive now he’d be rooting for more “smug marrieds” – meaning complacent gays and lesbians who sit on the fence when it comes to the rights.

In reality, if Harvey Milk were alive today he would notice how different the world is. He won’t be sitting smug in a swanky office on London’s Southbank. He’d be wondering why married doesn’t mean civil partnered and why police still spend vast resources on persecuting gay men who have sex in the woods. He’d be questioning why an organisation named Stonewall, has consistently alienated so many marginalised groups he spent his life (and eventually was killed fighting for both within the LGBT Community on it’s fringe such as sex workers.

Harvey Milk was heavily involved in the founding of many frontline, radicalised activist movements including the San Francisco Coalition on Prostitution, one of the first such “sex-workers unions” in the world. Yet it’s European cousin which still exists today was protesting in unison with angry transgender people outside the Stonewall Awards only last November in protest at the nomination of Julie Bindel (another controversial Guardian Comment is Free journalist).

He’d be asking why the annual turnover of the LGBT voluntary sector in Britain is just £10 million – with about 20% of that going into Stonewall’s wallet with the remaining estimated 1,500 other LGBT groups left to fight for the rest. This may sound like a lot of money the size of the pot available to LGBT community groups – the type of organisations pioneered by queer activists such as Harvey Milk in the 1960’s and 70’s equates to just 0.03% of the income of the entire charitable sector.

It’s also worth pointing out that Czyzelska’s employers Millivres Prowler Group are one of Stonewall’s biggest private sponsors. According to it’s chairman, Chris Graham Bell the company “has historic roots in gay and lesbian rights campaigning and has strong values and beliefs regarding the support of civil rights for our community.”Offering more proof of private business interfering with an apparently independent lobby group.

Even though Summerskill already has his own regular column in the same newspaper, in which he often makes similar attacks on Peter Tatchell and grassroots campaigning this week Stonewall’s highest paid member of staff was given another opportunity to dismiss the work of pretty much anyone who isn’t in the gay rights game for the money. As Jane Czyzelska’s article starts off it quickly descends into appearing to be a platform for Stonewall’s work and yet another outlet for Summerskill and his gay mafia friends to make false claims about the success of their work.

The picture Summerskill paints of his “radicalism” is a fraud. What he describes isn’t radicalism, it’s fraud. Note his nod to the “radicalism”of companies in the FTSE 100. Many of these big players in the stock-market along with a number of institutionally homophobic institutions recently did paid Stonewall in excess of £1,500 in exchange for a place in the group’s own prestigious “stock-market of inequality”.

Stonewall’s work with young people around homophobic bullying gets a regular cash boost from it’s annual “Equality Dinner” where wealthy members of the public make donations in return for spending an evening with celebrities at the Dorchester Hotel. What a shame this cash isn’t reaching the places that really need it.

In August 2008 Stonewall received criticism from the gay community in Liverpool after it failed to speak out after the homophobic murder of gay teenager Michael Causer. In October a planned recruitment day in Liverpool run by Stonewall for the youth volunteering project mentioned in Czyzelska’s article had to be canceled because hardly anyone had registered. The local gay youth group “GYRO” which recently launched it’s own homophobic bullying resources complained they weren’t even told about the event. Another questionable claim made in the article is that Stonewall has seen it’s “active” supporters double and them under 30 is higher than ever causing Czyzelska to blindly state “this is hardly a sign of apathy and complacency”. The truth is – lending one’s support to an organisation like the Stonewall of today is exactly that – apathy and a sign of being complacent. Czyzelska her self describes Stonewall of representing “apathetic conformity” at the start of her article.

Summerskill has a rather contorted view of what activism is. According to Summerskill activism is either “politicised” (the camp he places the likes of Peter Tatchell firmly in) or “smug” (much like himself) – but argues both are equally as radical.

He may well be right, but the terminology is wrong, and it’s designed to confuse people.

Most people will hear the word “political” in this way and instantly assume he’s talking about smiley politicians and out of touch political parties – boring, moaning, infighting and lacking in integrity. But in truth Stonewall itself and those who founded it (Labour Party activists) are no less political, and probably more so.

“Politics” is close to Stonewall’s heart. It courts with representatives of all parties inviting them to debate gay issues whilst leaving fringe activists standing out in the cold like it did at it’s recent Awards ceremony at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Tony Blair was the guest of honour at last year’s Stonewall Equality fund-raiser. Ben Summerskill himself used to be a Labour politician. His predecessor, Angela Mason now works for the Labour government as the Director of the Women and Equality Unit. It is Stonewall who are in the politicised camp that has a narrow agenda not set by the community they work for but political think tanks and business men with lots of opinions.

Most of the “radicals” he tries so hard to tarnish through his use of clever wording are grassroots campaigners who focus on thorny issues Stonewall itself finds hard to grasp (and it’s financial backers wouldn’t touch with a barge pole) such as transphobia, laws around sexual offenses and international human rights abuses (which Stonewall’s funders such as Barclays Bank and Lloyds TSB have been accused of providing finance to).

While Stonewall are leaving by the back door of Lloyds TSB with a nice fat suitcase of money, the real Human Rights activists are banging down the front door in anger at the bank’s decision to block money going to humanitarian charities based in Gaza. This year Stonewall decided to put Lloyds TSB at the very top of it’s “Diversity Champions” index.

No wonder Ben Summerskill just loves brandishing his knife at the real activists like Peter Tatchell who not only tackle domestic issues without asking for the world on the plate, but also around the world. OutRage! has stood up for the human rights of LGBT people in Palestine. Whilst Stonewall smug in to bed with the perpetrators of human rights abuses., happily taking the cash and doing whatever their master tells them – there’s a name for that.

Although she makes many valid points and even provides some balance in her padding of yet another out of touch Summerskill rant, as Czyzelska implies in the title and as the 80’s pop duo once Mel and Kim once sung, – “we ain’t never gonna be respectable”

- well Jane we don’t need your respect any more than Harvey Milk need buy your trashy magazine.

Tagged: Barclays, Ben Summerskill, DIVA, Diversity Champions, Gay Rights, Guardian, Harvey Milk, Jane Czyzselska, Labour Party, LGBT Media, Lloyds TSB, Millivres Prowler, Peter Tatchell, Stonewall ]]> http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/diva-editor-attacks-peter-tatchell-in-harvey-milk-blitz/feed/ 3 gaymafiawatch http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/12/29/elton-john-libel-queen/ http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/12/29/elton-john-libel-queen/#comments Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:43:35 +0000 Gay Mafia Watch http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/?p=245 ]]>

In a long overdue victory for free speech, Sir Elton John has been left fuming yet again after loosing his latest libel case against the Guardian newspaper.

This is a mighty blow to the ongoing efforts of one of Britain’s top gay mafia henchmen to seal the lips of all those who question his beloved charity, a battle in which has no doubt cost the “gratuitously offensive, nasty and snide” showman dearly. Journalist Marina Hyde claimed Elton’s AIDS Foundation does not “raise serious funds” and is merely an excuse for “self-promotion”. This is the third time the charity has come in for criticism in a national newspaper.

During the 1990’s, gay mafia charity “Stonewall” often flirted with Sir Elton, flying the entertainer and his entourage across the Atlantic from his L.A home. In November 1999, the organisers of it’s glamorous gala fundraiser at London’s Royal Albert Hall faced a legal challenge from the Scout Movement,  enraged by Elton’s use of erotic dancers as part of his performance for the sold-out event who (although aged over 18.) were dressed up as Cub-Scouts alongside Elton (who’s real name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight). Several right-wing gay-bashing homophobic family-rights groups got on their moral high-horses and claimed “Stonewall should be condemned for holding boys up as sex objects” causing similar claims to be published in The Sun and other tabloid newspapers. Stonewall itself had to make a full public apology whilst Elton stayed silent.

At the time Stonewall was lobbying to equalise the age of consent, and although it may seem like a long time ago now, it was still a very tough battle to fight. Public support was critical, lack of it contributed to several delays to the campaign along with the repeal of Section 28. Elton’s involvement probably didn’t help.

Since then Elton’s work with Stonewall has dwindled and his reputation for making brash personal attacks on other gay icons and celebrities with big gay followings such as Madonna and George Michael certainly no longer makes him a favorable act to headline at a glitzy money-making ball these days.  In fact Elton’s now got his own charity,  naughtily after himself.  Just as the name “Stonewall” itself has slowly begun to drown out, Elton’s charity along with a rather convenient plug for his entire career, the Elton John AIDS Foundation is a name you probably will have heard more and more over the past few years. Combined with the 61 year old’s tendency to mouth-off and throw a queeny-strop at the slightest snippet of criticism or unflattering photo taken of his baldy noggin, the charity itself has given him even more opportunities to indulge in his favorite pastime – suing some ass.

Those who believe in the existence of parallel universes will probably envisage Sir Elton pursing a career in Law. At least in this one he’s got all the right wigs for the part!

Who Elton’s thrown his dummy at:

• Elton John vs. The Sun (1988)
  (£1,000,000 damages paid out by The Sun newspaper)
• Elton John vs. Sunday Mirror (1993)
  (£75,000 damages paid out by the publishers of the Mirror on Sunday)

• Sir Elton John vs. Mirror Group Newspapers  Ltd  (1997)
  (£350,000 damages paid out by the Mirror Newspaper)
  

• Sir Elton John and others vs. Countess Joulebine (2001)
  (£15,000 damages paid out by the webmaster of a gossip message board)

• Sir Elton John vs. Associated Newspapers Limited ( May 2006)
  (£127,000 settlement paid out by the Daily Mail)
• Sir Elton John vs Associated Newspapers Limited (August 2006)
  (£100,000 paid in Damages and an undisclosed sum from the Sunday Times)

• Sir Elton John vs Guardian News & Media (December 2008)
  (He lost this latest case but the Guardian said it was (sort of) sorry)

Elton’s petty legal fights have now whisked the Rocket Man into cyberspace, and although he’s a self-confessed Luddite and technopbobe he’s known to indulge in a bit of silver surfing.

One of his more mean pursuits involved sending the Lawyers down to the webmistress of entertainment “gossip message board” – Countess Joulebine. He managed to secure a hearing by citing precedent set in similar case (Godfrey v. Demon Internet Limited 1999) which involved the former owners of the Pink Paper and Boyz Magazine David Bridle and Kelvin Sollis. The case involved material published by Chris Morris, a former Stonewall activist who had switched sides to grass routes gay rights group “OutRage!” headed by Peter Tatchell who was about to publish details of an apparently “fake” HIV charity “Positive Lives” (now defunct) on his website hosted by Demon Internet.

It appears Elton’s lawyers had in-depth knowledge about this particular case involving the owners of this other allegedly “dodgy HIV charity” which went to court only a year previously,  putting the Pink Paper’s main rival publication “OutCast” right out of business.

David Bridle still publishes Boyz Magazine, and having recently done away with it’s previous editor he is firmly back at the reigns. The Pink Paper was sold to rival publishers Millivres Prowler Group in 2004.

Any brave soul (like Chris Morris, Marina Hyde, Countess Joulebine and a long list of others) who dares question the apparent charitable operations of any gay mafia entities face being silenced by a wall of law suits, funded by gay mafia barons with rich friends and a long list of Lawyers, Publicists and Spin-Doctors armed with everything they need to cover up the most heinous of scandals.

Final Facts

• In 2007 Sir Elton caused yet more fury after announcing he intends to Shut Down the Internet altogether claiming the web is “destroying music” and “stopping people going out”. Who knows what his real agenda is?

• In an obvious blitz of damage limitation, less than two weeks after Elton went red in the face after loosing this latest battle with the Guardian, Harrow Council announced it was considering naming a street after him.  However it appears there is already a lovely little street right beside the Bus Station that is infact called “Elton Avenue”!
• Like most secretive criminal societies, the “gay mafia” has friends in high places, but not all. Even within it’s own close-knit circles there is in-fighting and fierce rivalry, as well as family-like births, deaths, and civil partnerships! We’ll be going more in-depth on who’s who in our forthcoming features “Gay Mafia Families” and “The Gays After Tomorrow”.

Related Links

AfterElton.com

Another week and yet another “gay awards scheme” appears to be attracting some dubious nominations.

Last month the Stonewall Awards in London sparked an angry protest from the transgender community and a major celebrity split after a bigoted journalist was nominated.  Heres more proof that the “old boys network” is alive and well in Manchester…

About a week ago Terry Waller, “Lead Officer for Gay Men’s Issues” at Manchester City Council sent out an email requesting people to vote for gay men’s social group run by the LGF “Icebreakers” for a Pink Paper Readers Award (they happened to be last year’s winners). The email went onto say – “Maybe you’ll also nominate our friends at The LGF, Taurus, 40 plus  and Northern Wave too.”

After your money AGAIN!.. - the Lesbian and Gay Foundation

Read our article “The Truth about where your wristband money really went“ which explains how together they conspired to ripped off Manchester’s long suffering LGBT Community last year by making multiple funding bids for the same organisation under different names and therefore siphoning off the funding into one big fat pot.

Whilst we have no objection to the claim that that the groups and businesses being promoted are just as worthy candidates to win an award as any other and no doubt provide excellent services to the community but the question must be asked- why is Manchester City Council participating in the unfair influence of a democratic process by sending this request to its entire LGBT mailing list? Other groups hoping to be nominated may also be reminding their supporters to vote for them but this is a council mailing list which includes people who are neither Pink Paper Readers and who most likely have never heard of or used the services of this cliquey list of ”friends” the email is suggesting people nominate and vote for.

This use of the mailing mailing list in this manner is clearly biased an inappropriate, its completely unfair to other worthy groups and businesses and it smacks of favoritism. Taurus, the Lesbian and Gay Foundation (who run Icebreakers, the 40+ Group and Northern Wave Swimming Group) and Manchester City Council are all heavily in bed with the controversial Manchester Pride – also nominated for an award.

Terry Waller claims this request is purely “information we have been asked to distribute” however previous attempts by other organisations not connected to funded by Manchester City Council have failed to be distributed are frequently ignored. Although his mail shots are sometimes useful and informative they rarely contain anything other than more promotional extracts from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation or Manchester Pride –  which have plenty of more direct and dedicated means of contacting the community.

Shameless!

Manchester Pride Ticket £15
Squishing Criticism – Priceless!

Manchester City Council and “friends” at the Launch of Manchester Pride 2008. Together they have sent requests to a public city council mailing list to canvass support in order to swing the vote in favour of their organisations in this year’s Pink Paper Awards.

Despite causing so much anger and controversy within the community, GayMafiaWatch has heard Manchester Pride has been nominated for a Pink Paper Award too.

…the big cover-up Moments after the above photo was taken…. Protesters descend on the Pride Officials and Lord Mayor The protest group “Pride is a Protest” claims it has been shamefully airbrushed out of the official pride photos.

Pink Washed!

In this photo you can clearly see how a sign being held by a protester in the back of the photo outside Manchester Town hall taken shortly after saying “Queer Liberation Now” has been airbrushed in black out by Manchester Pride. A Pink “Pride Not Profit” Banner in the far right corner has also been obscured. Watch a video of the protest at the Manchester Pride Launch

If it’s not clear to you what Manchester Pride is all about, they have made it clear what its not about by doing this.

As Manchester Pride came to a close at end of August 2008, Phil Burke (who was missing from the above photos) Chair of the Village Business Association (VBA) resigned from the board of Manchester Pride in frustration and declared “Manchester Pride is a marketing event run by ‘dictators’ “. It made the front page of the Manchester Evening News later that day where he continued to speak out and claimed “Manchester Pride is Purely a Commercial Operation“.

Dozens of other small businesses, charities and community groups and local councilors of all parties have since spoken out in support of Mr Burke including Body Positive, Cruz 101, The Rembrandt, Eden, AXM Group, LGBT History Month. Queer Youth Network, OutRage! and the NUS LGBT Campaign.

In October 2008, UNISON (the largest of all the trade unions) voted at it’s recent LGBT conference to condemn the actions of Manchester Pride and has agreed not to provide it with sponsorship to the event next year.

Just two days before their annual awards ceremony at the Victoria and Albert Museum is set to be besieged by coach loads of angry trans activists, “gay lobby group” Stonewall are once again up to their dirty tricks and have enlisted the former Gay Times editor and henchwoman of the “Soho Gay Mafia”in an attempt to distract the more independent gay and mainstream press away from Thursday’s demonstrations.

At 11am on Tuesday 4th November 2008 “Head Lesbian” Vicky Powell rushed out the following news release from Stonewall’s London office with the headline “Lesbians find sexism a bigger barrier to work success than homophobia” – a news release which GayMafiaWatch believes is the start of a “damage limitation” exercise orchestrated by Stonewall bosses with the assistance of their gay media monopoly friends.

Unable to cope with the demand on their press office flooded with complaints and faced with a very large public protest outside the event after they controversially nominated a Transphobia Lesbian Feminist for their “Journalist of the Year” award – it seems Stonewall’s plan of action includes promoting sexism as a bigger issue than homophobia and no doubt any other specific oppression against the LGBT community. This press release has been sent out for no other purpose but a direct attempt to sabotage and divert attention away from the protests in a few days time and possibly win over as many lesbians and women to their array of invented and false projects this press release talks of.

Then there’s Vicky Powell herself who left Gay Times in October 2006 to join Stonewall and has since very rarely (if ever) sent out a press release on behalf of Stonewall (it is virtually always Gary Nunn). So professional is dear Vicky that she fatally (not for the first time!) forgot to “blind copy” the recipients of the press release email, revealing every single one of their press contacts, a serious breach of confidentiality and privacy to say the least!

How cynical this appears, just because this story is about women it gets sent out by a woman. It seems like poor Vicky is a victim of Stonewall’s own sexist attitudes as she only gets to have her name on something if it relates to Lesbians otherwise it’s left to Nunn. She hasn’t released anything from Stonewall since January 2007, Garry Nunn sends stuff out on an almost weekly basis.

“It’s no surprise therefore that Britain’s two million lesbians remain almost invisible at work.” Interviewees pointed to a lack of openly gay women in the workplace” – commented Ruth Hunt, Stonewall’s head of policy. – Maybe that’s because they all work for Stonewall!

Heard the one about the homophobic mayonnaise?

GayMafiaWatch feels duty-bound to inform the truth-hungry British Public of yet another questionable partnership and possible scam concerning the self-titled “leading gay rights group” Stonewall and a major multinational company.

You’ve got it hand it to Stonewall, they must have headhunted some of the best PR talent in Westminster to dream this one up. Our sources tell us that it’s been a busy week for Stonewall, the shady, corporate-run “gay-rights lobby group” who have spent all week issuing obscure press releases urging 3.6 million gay and lesbian people to boycott the entire Heinz product range because the famous baked bean manufacturer withdrew a television advert for mayonnaise featuring a gay couple even though Heinz still actually produced, filmed and paid thousands to be aired several times over before they took it off.

Campbells Soup & Branston Beans = Same Company

Beanz Meanz Money

At the weekend, Stonewall’s appearance in this years London Gay Pride March (which also endured many embarrasing jeers and heckles from transgender rights activists opposed to Stonewall’s lack of inclusion) appears to have been supported by, if not financially sponsored by Heinz’s biggest global competitor – Premier Foods.

“Canned vegetables represent the largest sector of the UK canned foods market, with retail sales of £528m equating to a 26.5% share of the market in 2007.” “Branston’s arrival in the baked beans sector in November 2005 had a significant impact and spurred activity from Heinz, which traditionally dominates the sector. Premier Foods launched Branston baked beans claiming that, in comparison with Heinz, they contain 20% more tomatoes and were rated more highly in blind taste tests.” – ( Source: Financial Content – Market Data: Canned Foods )

Bouncing around the streets of London with their head-queen – Sir Ian McKellen with his Stonewall “staff” holding red and white signs scrawled with anti-Heinz slogans were a small group of their supporters dressed up ridiculously as tins of red and white Campbell’s Soup – owned by Premier Foods who just happen to be Stonewall Enemy of the week – Heinz’s fiercest rival.

Boycott one brand, sponsored by the other...

From the people acting in the interests of the “Lesbian and Gay” community once again, is this tie-up with Premier Foods merely a coincidence? No chance, Stonewall have managed to invent a whole new, but repulsively separate system of partnership registration instead of pushing for what the large majority of other gay rights groups wanted – legal same sex marriage. Stonewall’s sponsors and board members are dominated by FTSE 100, or huge trans-global corporate multinationals and those who have connections to them. It is clearly a breach of conflict of interests by launching a campaign against one company and then appearing in public to then support the brands and products of it’s rival. Once again Stonewall’s been sleeping around for some spells to cast.

Beanz Meanz Sponsorship

Let’s have a toast to Stonewall for this superbly played out publicity stunt. It looks like Sir Ian is up for another “Best Supporting Actor” nomination. Although who can say who’s “rings” he’s been “the lord of” to pull this one off.

We’ve lifted the lid and now the truth is “out of the can”.

We’ve “Beanz Had”!

Thank you to an annonymous  GayMafiaWatch reader for providing us with more detailed information on the dirty dealings going between some of Britain’s Biggest Companies and corrupt gay and lesbian rights group Stonewall.

Considering the immense level of human resources available to the majority of the companies listed as “Britains Top Gay-friendly” employers it’s not surprising they have met the “Strict Criteria” required to become “Diversity Champions”. Once they’ve downloaded and signed the online application the only other requirement is a small payment to Stonewall of £1,500+VAT (£2,000+VAT for the Private Sector).

As we suspected, if you’ve got the money and the nerve, you can now BUY yourself an equality badge courtesy of Stonewall…. and if you’ve not got the money but you’re dedicated to equality in your workplace as an employer then you better get those profits up so you can give them all to Stonewall. Considering their (very much needing an update) Education for All website that was set up to save all the poor little gay child victims of homophobic bullying costs them over £500 a month just to keep online (let’s see those tears-a-rolling!) you have no excuse!

If you’re looking to recruit some fresh blood to your corporate empire, willing to work for peanuts and eager to work for an employer that “embraces diversity” at any cost then you might be interested in having a stall at the forthcoming ‘Stonewall Gay Youth Conference”. If you’re not keen on being there yourself incase one of the nasty gays pounces on your during a toilet break then you might like to be a sponsor instead. Just £10,000 a month can ensure there will be enough perier available to ensure Stonewall keep fighting homophobic bullying in our schools for a whole half-term.

GayMafiaWatch can exclusively reveal the truth behind a dark, unfolding conspiracy involving the gay and lesbian rights organisation Stonewall and some of Britain’s biggest multinational companies, local government and even the police who have come under the spotlight recently for an increase in complaints of homophobic abuse all over the country. Many of the major corporations listed as “Stonewall Diversity Champions” are also listed as financial donors to Stonewall, bringing into question the overall credibility of the awards.

Now this isn’t the case of a handful of whiney queens using the ‘gay card’ when they police don’t act in their favour. It’s far more sinister and worrying than anything like that. The Association Gay Police Officers has observed numerous instances of police officers were refusing to serve with their fellow LGBT officers in the past 12 months at most police forces in the country, and have witnessed senior officers at quoting the Bible in abuse. Other reports of police homophobic graffiti, use of abusively anti-gay language and behaviour have also been well documented and are now officially ‘on the rise’ by 25%. 7,000 complaints were received by the Association’s helpline in the past year.

Despite this disgraceful state of affairs, and the lack of confidence the gay community now has in it’s protectors – the gay rights group Stonewall has awarded it’s acclaimed ‘Diversity Champions’ award to no less than 24 Police Forces this year. One of those was Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, accused of some appalling acts and a clear, ongoing history of anti-gay malpractice and behaviour by Cornish Gay Rights Campaigner Malcolm Lidbury who was also astonished to hear of Stonewall’s stamp of approval.

Only last August, Lidbury was again targeted by officers of Cornwall Police when he was arrested, his home searched despite no Criminal charges or Criminal prosecution being made. Lidbury has had his vehicle stopped and maintains the police have continued to make unlogged visits intended to “harass and violate his life as an ‘out‘ gay man”. Lidbury recently testified these complaints supported by 19 witnesses in court, the complaints were thrown out by the self-regulated police complaints body and the harassment continues and Lidbury has accused Stonewall of ‘turing their back on him and others’ in a similar situation including a 15 year old named Peter who Malcolm has been supporting. “We approached Stonewall way back in 2005 on Peter’s behalf… they sent him a list of solicitors, none of which who would work West of Bristol, unless for an exorbatant fee… not much good to a then homeless gay 15 year old child! People are under the illustion that Stonewall will help them… I was…not any more!” “I was an ardent supporter of Stonewall and was even a Stonewall Equality 2000 rep for Cornwall back in the 1990’s, but Stonewall has lost touch with the reality of what is still happening to lgbt people outside the M25 gay ghetto.”

Bank Bullies and Bent Coppers

In the West Midlands, openly gay Senior Inspector Bernard McEldowney expressed his shock to see his force ranked 33rd in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index. David Joseph Henry, Leader of the Queer Youth Network which is a member of Stonewall’s Education for All campaign said he was “Outraged and felt betrayed” when he discovered Kent County Council was another recipient of the acclaimed awards. The youth group hit the headlines in 2003 when it launched a campaign to overturn anti-gay policies. “I cannot believe they would be deserving of such an accolade considering their recent attempt to reintroduce Section 28 and continue to uphold a similar anti-gay policy. Kent’s award should be revoked immediately”. Stephen Coote, Director of the GBA (Gay Business Association) has also expressed his concerns with the awards after received several complaints by the association’s members that their workplaces, despite being very homophobic in their experience had also received the awards including several major banks and insurance companies. He continued to question the validity of the awards in an article in the Pink Paper published in January 2008.

Stonewall have given prestigious “Diversity Champions” awards to a number of proven, institutionally homophobic or racist organisations including:

• Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
  • Sixteen allegations of homophobia in 2007. It’s own diversity inspector admitted that Devon and Cornwall police has dealt “poorly” with the gay community, and it’s basic command unit’s diversity unit was understaffed, and is “reactive rather than proactive.”
    
• Kent County Council
  • Despite several calls and needs assessments, the council continues to fund any gay community projects and still refuses it’s responsibility in leading the establishment of youth service provision for LGBT young people in the whole county (which is now being led by the police instead!). Kent Council Council hit the headlines in 2003 when leader Sir-Sandy Bruce Lockheart introduced it’s own ‘mini-section 28′ policy – which prevented the “promotion of homosexuality” . Kent County council may have managed to bribe Stonewall into giving it an award and shelve off the fallout from negative criticism, but it has failed to repair the damage Section 28 and it’s local spawn has done to Kent’s youth. It’s also fair to mention that the policy wasn’t exactly thrown out, but rather ‘re-worded’ and still quite offensively and wrongly attempts to ensue the any and all sex education in Kent is delivered maintaining that although there exist other “lifestyles” “marriage is the best way to raise a family”. This policy still exists.
    
• Environment Agency
  • It’s important to remember the word ‘Diversity’ since that’s what these awards are supposed to be all about, homophobia is just a part of it, that’s why we’ve highlighted this award winner as they are known to be guilty of “positive discrimination” in recruiting and headhunting “non-white” people for it’s training programme. A practice, which carried out poorly as a half-baked attempt to include underrepresented groups which often harms those minority groups far more by undermining the overall credibility and effectiveness of equal opportunities across the board.

• HSBC Bank
  • The finance giant was recently defeated in the High Court by it’s former head of equity Peter Lewis who claimed the bank had discriminated against him on four grounds because of his sexual orientation. He branded HSBC part of an “aggressive, macho, male culture” that exists within the City.
    
• Merseyside Police
  • Less than 18 months ago during an internal audit, nearly one million internal emails between staff at Merseyside Police were exposed to contain “grossly offensive racist and homophobic” content. An investigation was launched which saw the involvement of over 500 officers, despite this the most serious outcome were a small number of fines of £360 and warning letters. Complaints of homophobic dealings with Merseyside police continue, with the latest scandal this year involving incidents of blackmail and during a crackdown on cruising and cottaging by gay men. It was also exposed as not following official guidelines on dealing with the matter and an emergency public meeting was called by the gay community. Dozens of men have been arrested in the past year. Despite this, on the streets of Liverpool attacks on the gay community are continuing to rise, one bar owner told GayMafiaWatch “Groups and solo drunk straight men have shouted abuse at me and my friends several times in the past but fortunately no physical incidences have occurred.” It’s happening more and more around the Dale Street area, it’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed”.

• West Midlands Police
  • On his way home on a night out in Birmingham’s Gay Village a 33-year old gay man claims he was the victim of a vicious torrent of homophobic abuse by three officers. “A police car screeched up and the officer wound down his window and said ‘Oi, you fucking queer! Have you ever been arrested?’ I kept walking, but then he pulled up again and shouted ‘get yourself fucking home’. Not only that, but his two colleagues were laughing with him.” LGBT magazine ‘Midlands Voice’ also claims it has hears a number of similar incidents in the gay village area in recent months.

• Metropolitan Police
  • “Institutional” homophobia and transphobia, has Blighted Scotland Yard’s internal reaction to killings and attacks on gay, lesbian and transsexual people according to a report by the independent Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Advisory Group. “There were several investigations where we have deep reservations about the way in which the identity of the victim informed investigative decisions at the time. We also found evidence of inappropriate attitudes to the circumstances of some murders.”
    
• GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer
  • Internationally condemned for not doing enough to develop and deliver cheaper, more effective AIDS drugs to the developing world or for focusing on a cure rather than new and more expensive treatments. In Britain, gay men remain the biggest disproportional group affected by HIV/AIDS.
    
• The Conservative Party
  • There are still a great number of LGBT people out there who clearly believe the Conservative Party to be out of touch and homophobic to say the least, and who will never vote for them again on these grounds and the long history the Party has of blocking gay rights legislation and even creating and enforcing it (Section 28 for example). In many corners of the country there still exist a number of viciously homophobic Tories, many of them now silent but from time to time they erupt their plumes of vile hatred and intolerance on a great number of subjects from immigration and asylum seekers to low income and single parent families and on a public rather tired of their clap-trap. How on earth have these people demonstrated their commitment to fighting homophobia, let alone diversity.

Although not mentioned in detail above, GayMafiaWatch has heard of many, many complaints of continuing homophobia at many of Stonewall’s award winners, so many infact that we could continue this article for many more pages if we did.

We would however like to draw extra attention to the blatant hypocrisy demonstrated by Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme in congratulating this excusive club of British businesses still guilty of breaking the boundaries of basic Human Rights. The socially conscious of us who care about workers rights, the environment and the effect big businesses has on smaller companies that cannot compete with their monopolies can’t really justify holding Stonewall to account for ensuring all it’s award winners are ethical, beyond anything but recognising diversity. Despite that, it cannot be disputed that the Diversity Champions Programme will never achieve full credibility whilst it continues to play bum chum with a number of notable welding homophobes mentioned above.

Times may be changing, and the nation’s police forces may at last begin to become more proactive in taking up anti-gay invite like Stonewall’s Diversity Champions, but it is misleading and confusing for them to be praised in their entirety when so many police officers who work for them are not as tolerant. Without the support of the police – (all of them, that’s every single officer) the gay community cannot invest faith of any kind in them, let alone reward them for their so called efforts. For Stonewall to do so is a complete insult and kick in the face to every single LGBT person they have failed and continue to fail now and in the future.

Further Reading

BBC News: Anti-Gay Police Complaints Rise
PinkNews: Police Homophobia Claims Rejected
PinkNews: Equality Awards going to “Homophobic Workplaces”
The Pink Pasty: Homophobia in Cornwall

Since GayMafiaWatch came out on to the scene nearly a year ago we have been appealing to the community to share their concerns in regards to the way the pink pound changes hands. We were astounded by the number of emails regarding the conduct of Stonewall – the gay rights lobby group on a number of issues, this expose on the organisation’s ‘Bullying Tactics’ is the first of several articles focusing on Stonewall.

It makes sense to begin with the argument from one of Stonewall’s most vocal and famous critics, gay rights activist and founder of OutRage! Peter Tatchell  who has attempted to decode Stonewall’s tactics. “Stonewall styles itself as “the” lesbian and gay lobbying group – not “a” lesbian and gay lobbying group but “the” lesbian and gay lobbying group. That smacks of arrogance and empire building. It has more than a whiff of an attempt to monopolise the whole agenda and every gain for themselves.”

“Although we have different tactics and aims to Stonewall, OutRage! has always tried to work with them and sought to acknowledge their role and contribution. That generosity has often not been reciprocated. Stonewall frequently comes across as attempting to claim the credit for everything that’s ever been achieved by the gay community. They tend not to acknowledge other groups. It is not just OutRage! that gets ignored. The contribution of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, GALOP, Lesbian & Gay Employment Rights and many other organisations are never acknowledged.”

This stern accusation is echoed by members of the Education for All Coalition, a network of organisations formed in 2004 to develop and implement a Great Britain-wide action plan to address Homophobic Bullying. You can see a full list of apparent members on the Education for All website . But don’t expect to find much more than that. You’d expect to after noticing on the donations page a very far out estimation that the website costs them £500 just to keep running for a MONTH. Since it was launched (as a sub domain of Stonewall’s main site, it hasn’t even got a dedicated web address) there is yet to be any information regarding the next coalition meeting – the only direct way anyone outside the Stonewall office can play an active part in the decision making process. Tatchell puts this down to Stonewall being “a self-selected organisation that no ordinary lesbian or gay person can join”. Attempts to gain any details by listed coalition members have been falling on deaf ears, yet Stonewall continues to plead for funds in the public arena and boast in their press releases about the figure raised.

One thing you do notice on the Education for All website is the prominence of the ‘Donate’ button on every page. A quick tap of the mouse whisks you to an external site, where you are told “Thank you for choosing to make a donation to Stonewall Ltd.” Hold on a moment…

Surely this vast ’coalition’ of many diverse groups must have mutually agreed that Stonewall will be the sole benefactor in fundraising for Homophobic Bullying in their name. Not true. Infact many of these groups and organisations have not received a single penny from Stonewall, despite a suggestion the begging bowl is for a greater cause than the same old one Stonewall have been stumbling about collecting small change with since 1989. Some of these organisations have since folded entirely, despite being at the forefront of delivering groundbreaking work to beat Homophobic Bullying. The Young People’s Peer Support Project in Manchester was one such project. Rachel, a former volunteer at the Peer Support Project for over 7 years emailed GayMafiaWatch after our recent appeal for information. “I took part in a Stonewall Equality Walk to raise money for Education for All, I was proud to support the campaigning work of Stonewall and had collected many sponsors which I thought at the time would go to support Homophobic Bullying initiatives like the one I was part of back home in Manchester. I was utterly sickened when I found out a few months later that the project had closed down as it could not get basic core funding to survive, I thought we joined Education for All so we wouldn’t have to watch our work go down the pan and other people come in and take the credit”.

One former board member of the Consortium of LGBT Organisations spoke to GayMafiaWatch but did not want to be named. “This kind of domination by groups like Stonewall is part of the reason the Consortium was established” There are many small projects going on all over the country that are working on eradicating bullying but don’t have the same big budget  to work with that Stonewall has, to make things worse Stonewall is now claiming to be the champion in this field and it’s not on.” He continued, “Stonewall  is acting parasitically, a leech on the face of the gay community and the unsung, and often unfunded groups of people who work just as hard as Stonewall but receive considerably less recognition.”

As a result of Stonewall’s 2008 Equality Dinner at the luxurious Dorchester Hotel in Central London (where the cheapest single room costs £395 per night!) sponsored by international financial giant UBS for the third year running, 500 exclusive guests gathered including former Prime Mister Tony Blair, Gandalf – Sir Ian McKellen, Brian Paddick and Jamie Oliver, and over £300,000 was raised. A Statement from Stonewall followed; “All funds raised will go towards Stonewall campaigns such as Education for All, tackling homophobic bullying from Britain’s schools.”. Something Stonewall has repeatibly claimed since 2004, and something which is not much more than a lie. This money does not filter down to work going on in schools, or at the least Stonewall continue to provide vague snippets of information on how this money is spent.

Even if Stonewall miraculously succeeds in convincing the gay community that the money it continues to raise on behalf of leading a united front against homophobic bullying in schools it cannot deny the sheer waste of investment by companies such as UBS by sponsoring it’s lavish events that it insists on holding. Imagine how many more small groups and organisations could continue their work all over the country, not just in London and actually based in schools with real young people on a daily basis if those funds were diverted to them instead.

Now who’s the bully in the classroom?