Employer’s ‘fierce pride’ over its endorsement by Stonewall

LONDON & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q) is fiercely proud of its endorsement by the controversial gay and trans rights lobby group Stonewall.

In February it was named by Stonewall in its ‘top 100 employers list’ – the sixth time in nine years it had won the accolade.

Companies are included in the charity’s so-called ‘Workplace Equality Index’ list if their human resources policies are ‘inclusive of LGBT+ staff’ and if they ‘celebrate LGBT+ identities at work’.

After February’s announcement, Jan Gale, an assistant director at L&Q, wrote: ‘Inclusion is a key value of ours, so to be recognised for our innovative work is a wonderful achievement.’

But Maureen Martin believes the eagerness of L&Q bosses to please Stonewall may have influenced their decision to sack her. ‘L&Q are a woke organisation,’ she said. ‘The endorsement from Stonewall was important to L&Q.’

Sasha Misra, associate director of communications at Stonewall, said: ‘This concern appears to be based on a misunderstanding of the way our Workplace Equality Index is scored. Entrants are assessed on a set of standardised criteria that measures whether their workplace is a welcoming environment for their LGBT+ employees, and nothing more.’

It emerged last night that one of those who condemned Ms Martin’s leaflet on Twitter later contacted Stonewall. On May 5, a Twitter user calling herself ‘Vicar’s Daughter’ thanked Stonewall ‘for your call today and email full of resources’. She pledged to launch a petition and said she was ‘consulting with a human rights organisation to see what can be done.’ Nine days later, she hailed Ms Martin’s sacking, writing: ‘I think she’s been held accountable for her homophobic comments.’

Stonewall said it had no involvement in Ms Martin’s case and does not provide advice to individuals, but will instead direct them to relevant resources and other organisations.