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Tag: Ruth Hunt

  • Ruth Hunt announced as CEO of Stonewall

    Ruth Hunt has been announced as the new CEO of Britain’s biggest Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual charity, Stonewall.

    Ruth Hunt has been acting CEO of the charity since February this year and before that, was Deputy Chief Executive. She joined the charity in 2005 as a Senior Policy Officer, having begun her career at the Equality Challenge Unit. Her appointment concludes a comprehensive and transparent search, throwing up a strong set of candidates from which Ruth emerged as the clear winner.

    In May Hunt controversially refused to back a boycott of the Dorchester Collection, after it emerged that the owner of the group the Sultan Of Brunei said that he would adopt the Sharia criminal code for his country, the law carries harsh penalties for adultery and sodomy – which includes death by stoning.

    Hunt commented, ‘The recent boycott of The Dorchester Collection has undoubtedly raised awareness in the West of the issues in Brunei but the crucial questions for Stonewall are whether there is a mandate for the boycott and would such a boycott work? We believe the answer is no, on both counts. I do not believe the somewhat beleaguered Christopher Cowdray, Chief Executive of the Collection, can somehow influence the implementation of Sharia criminal code in Brunei.’

    Her statement led to a public outcry, which led to Stonewall changing its stance 3 days later.

    On the announcement of her appointment, Ruth Hunt said, ‘I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead Stonewall, a highly-respected organisation that is synonymous with achieving equal rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. It is full of committed, intelligent and creative people and I am very pleased to be heading up such a talented team.

    ‘There are so many opportunities ahead, as well – of course – as challenges. I look forward to working with Stonewall’s many partners to develop what the team and my predecessors have already achieved, to advance equality and challenge discrimination both throughout the UK and abroad. These goals we share with the lesbian, gay and bisexual community and it’s fundamental that we work together to achieve them.’

  • Stonewall To No Longer Use Dorchester Hotel

    Stonewall acting Chief Executive has announced that the charity will no longer use the hotel owned by the Sultan of Brunei.

    The UK’s largest LGB charity, Stonewall, was criticised heavily last week after its acting CEO Ruth Hunt said it would not back the boycott on The Dorchester Collection group of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah.

    The Sultan of Brunei, has confirmed that he will continue his adoption of a Sharia criminal code in his country.

    This law carries harsh penalties for adultery and sodomy – which could includes death by stoning for homosexuals.

    SHARIA WHAT DOES IT MEAN:
    Islam’s legal system, derived from the Koran
    Informs every aspect of Muslims’ lives
    Islamic jurists issue formal guidance through fatwas, or religious edicts
    Sharia law includes provisions for capital and corporal punishment but modern scholars say getting to that stage can be difficult
    Marriage is treated as a contract in Islam
    From The BBC

    Writing for Pinknews, Hunt said,

    ‘I can confirm that we will not be using the Dorchester for our future events. We simply do not need this distraction from the vital work of promoting respect for the human rights of LGBT people the world over,” she writes.

    Ms. Hunt also apologised on behalf Stonewall, writing:

    ‘We’re sorry that we didn’t anticipate the strength of feeling in the LGBT community, and beyond, and take longer to talk to you about our position and ask what you think. That was a mistake on our part.’

    The boycott on the group, is backed by several high profile people including Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno and Richard Branson. The collection includes locations such as London’s The Dorchester and Los Angeles’ The Beverly Hill’s

  • Stonewall Refuses To Back Dorchester Boycott

    A statement from the acting Chief Exec of Stonewall, explains why Stonewall won’t be backing the Dorchester Collection boycott.

    Britain’s biggest LGB charity has announced that it won’t back a boycott of a hotel group owned by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, who has confirmed that he will continue his adoption of a Sharia criminal code in his country.

    This law carries harsh penalties for adultery and sodomy – which includes death by stoning.

    The Dorchester Collection has a number of hotels across the world including The Dorchester in the UK’s capital and The Beverly Hotel in California.

    The Sultan’s actions have caused calls from the around the globe to boycott the chain – backed by many Hollywood names and celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno

    However Ruth Hunt, the acting Chief Executive of Stonewall stated,

    ‘At Stonewall we share the anger and fury of those calling for a boycott but we won’t be joining them’.

    ‘The recent boycott of The Dorchester Collection has undoubtedly raised awareness in the West of the issues in Brunei but the crucial questions for Stonewall are whether there is a mandate for the boycott and would such a boycott work? We believe the answer is no, on both counts. I do not believe the somewhat beleaguered Christopher Cowdray, Chief Executive of the Collection, can somehow influence the implementation of Sharia criminal code in Brunei. He can’t. I do, however, fear that the boycott could do very real harm to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people of Brunei. By turning the issue into a battle between gay people and the Sultan – which it isn’t, it affects everyone in Brunei, not just gay people – we limit the opportunity for dialogue and put the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people of Brunei at far greater risk. A group of people, I hasten to add, who’ve yet to publically call for a boycott.’

    ‘Stonewall’s plan is to instead work with groups, like the Dorchester, rather than against them. Companies have enormous power to change and challenge cultures and we help them utilise that influence.’

    Read the full statement on the Stonewall website

    A former Tory Chairman, said that Stonewall’s refusal to boycott the Dorchester Collection ‘doesn’t make sense’

    Lord Dehen criticised Stonewall’s decision not to back a boycott. Speaking to Pinknews about the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) decision not to hold an event at The Dorchester, Lord Deben said, ‘Well done Magazine editors. I think no decent organisation should use a hotel owned by someone who stones women accused of adultery and gay people purely because of their sexuality. I think that everyone should boycott The Dorchester Collection.’

    Have your say, What do you think Stonewall should do?

  • Ben Summerskill to step down as CEO of Stonewall

    Stonewall today announced that Ben Summerskill OBE is to step down as Chief Executive of the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity after eleven years at the helm.

    His time as Chief Executive saw a dramatic change in the legal landscape for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain. During his tenure he led successful campaigns to secure legal equality for gay people in Britain, including the repeal of Section 28, goods and services protections, civil partnerships and marriage equality.

    Ben’s tenure also saw a transformation of the charity itself, taking it from one with just 20 staff, an annual income of £1.3 million, to an effective campaigning organisation of 75 full time staff with annual income of excess of £4.2 million, with improved governance and financial integrity including substantially augmented reserves in line with charity best practice.

    Paying tribute to his time as Chief Executive, Stonewall Chair Jacqueline Davies said: ‘In the last decade, under Ben’s direction, Stonewall has become a hugely influential campaigning body that has played a key role in achieving legal equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain – from the repeal of Section 28 to the recent same-sex marriage bill.

    ‘Britain is now a beacon of equality around the world and we are incredibly proud of Stonewall’s contribution to this. Ben’s own commitment has been extraordinary. He has worked tirelessly to achieve equality at home, at school and at work – and we are enormously grateful to him.

    ‘We remain all too aware that Stonewall’s work is by no means complete. The whole organisation remains more determined than ever to fight for full equality for gay, lesbian and bisexual people in all areas of life – both in the UK and internationally.’
    Ben Summerskill said: ‘I’ve had a wonderful 11 years at Stonewall. As a charity, it comprises a constellation of staff and volunteers who, working together, have achieved remarkable things. The fact that Stonewall’s Workplace Programme now engages the employers of ten million people and one in three local authorities in Britain now works with us to tackle homophobic bullying in schools is testament to some of the fantastic teamwork I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with.’
    The Stonewall Board today also announces that current Deputy Chief Executive Ruth Hunt will be appointed as Acting Chief Executive while the Board recruits into the role. In recent months, Ben has worked with Ruth to ensure the organisation transitions smoothly and remains focused on its key priorities.

    Ruth Hunt said: ‘The Stonewall team is working hard to achieve equality for gay people in education, the media and in the workplace.’

    ‘As a leadership team, our priority will be to maintain the momentum Ben has built up over the last 11 years so that we continue to see significant progress in these areas. I’ve worked side-by-side with Ben over the last eight years, and will be delighted and honoured to step into the role of Acting Chief Executive.’