2. The client: Stonewall
Overview of the client.
Who are they, when did they start, why did they start, what do they do, how are
they funded?
Stonewall was founded in 1989 by a small group of people in direct opposition to
section 28 of the local government act.
Section 28 was a targeted piece of legislation that aimed to prevent the
promotion of homosexuality. It additionally lead to the stigmatisation of lesbians,
bisexual and gay people as well as the LGBT community.
From the beginning the aim was to create a professional lobbying group that
would prevent similar attacks on LGBTQ people from happening again.
Stonewall has therefore helped to push the case for equality on the mainstream
political agenda by winning support within all the main political parties and now
has offices in England, Scotland and Wales.
3. The issues:
Your client might advocate on a number of different yet related issues.
What issues your client campaign on?
What are some of the impacts they have managed to achieve?
What are they still hoping to achieve?
My client predominately campaigns for gay and trans equality however they actively support the whole LGBT and create both
campaign adds and events in order to better raise awareness for LGBT peoples and their rights.
Their mission statement is as follows:
“We're here to let all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, here and abroad, know they're not alone.
We believe we're stronger united, so we partner with organisations that help us create real change for the better. We have
laid deep foundations across Britain - in some of our greatest institutions - so our communities can continue to find ways to
flourish, and individuals can reach their full potential. We’re here to support those who can’t yet be themselves.
But our work is not finished yet. Not until everyone feels free to be who they are, wherever they are.”
Some major successes include helping achieve the equalisation of the age of consent, lifting the ban on LGB people serving in
the military, securing legislation which allowed same-sex couples to adopt and the repeal of Section 28.
The key priorities of this group are to EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS stating “Individuals make change happen. We will support
individuals to work out how they can make a difference for LGBT people at work, home and in their communities.”
They also aim to TRANSFORM INSTITUTIONS providing LGBT peoples with equality both in the work place but everywhere; to
CHANGE HEARTS AND MINDS helping normal people to learn and accept the wide political change of LGBT acceptance.
Finally they aim to CHANGE LAWS, to make all forms of non—binary gender and against the norm sexualities to legal and
widely supported not only socially but legally.
5. Facts and figures:
Use this space to highlight key facts and figures related to your client and the
social issue you are trying to tackle. These could be very useful later on in your
project as you try to raise awareness.
Stonewall's most high-profile achievements have been in parliamentary lobbying. Under Director Angela
Mason, Stonewall saw amendments to the 2002 Adoption and Children Bill which treated lesbian and gay
couples in the same way as heterosexuals, and Mason was awarded an OBE "for services to homosexual
rights". Under its former Chief Executive Ben Summerskill it was in successful parliamentary campaigns to:
• Repeal Section 28 of the Local Government Act (2003).
• Recognise anti-gay hate crimes, through the Criminal Justice Act (2003).
• Introduce the Civil Partnership Act 2004 giving gay and lesbian couples a legal framework equivalent to
civil marriage.
• Introduce the 2007 Sexual Orientation Regulations, protections against discrimination on grounds of
sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services secured through the Equality Act (2006).
• Equalise treatment of lesbian parents and their children in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
(2008).
• Introduce an offence of incitement to homophobic hatred in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act
(2008), matching existing protections around race and religion.
