According to a recent article in The Times, the misnamed charity Stonewall – misnamed because political organizations are prohibited under law from holding charitable status – was last year paid £1 million of taxpayer money to pursue its relentless campaign of 'queering' the nation.
If this description of Stonewall's aims sounds a little harsh, a quick look at their website will dispel any doubts. The majority of Joe Public perhaps think of the organisation as primarily working to challenge bullying, especially in schools, while celebrating 'diversity' so that all are accepted equally. Which on the face of it no doubt sounds highly commendable – after all, no one wants people to be bullied just because of who they are.
The reality, however, is rather less benign, because 'acceptance' for Stonewall is apparently not limited to tolerance – and most certainly not open-mindedness – but requires agreement, with active suppression of anything that conflicts with the narrative of LGBTQ equality and rights.
This can most clearly be seen in Stonewall's work with schools, because notwithstanding the organisation's claim to challenge bullying, ensuring acceptance and support for LGBTQ+ children, it would appear that their main and undisputed aim is actually to embed LGBTQ+ teaching across the whole curriculum, thus ensuring that all education becomes specifically LGBTQ-inclusive and compliant.
Which means that, however dressed up, the primary aim is not to eradicate bullying, but rather to effect culture change. Because children taught that same-sex attraction and life-style choices are identical with what are scathingly termed heteronormative orientation, will grow up not just entirely accepting such behaviours, but dismissive of any criticism, no matter how well founded. Game, set and match to Stonewall.
To return, however, to the issue of funding. Most of the tax-payer money in question has apparently gone to support Stonewall's Diversity Champions scheme, a programme dedicated to embedding LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the workplace. The surplus has been spent on conferences and training events, as illustrated by a lecture entitled "Queering Children's Literature", hosted by Goldsmiths College, University of London, "to celebrate how much has been achieved in queering children's and young adult literature."
This is scandalous. By its own boast, Stonewall is a campaigning organisation dedicated to changing the nation's moral outlook and behaviour through political and social reconfiguration. For it to continue receiving public funds to achieve this means, therefore, that the Government and Charity Commission are complicit in an attempt to impose ideologically motivated control – paid for by us, the taxpayers!
This is adding insult to palpable injury, because why should those who disagree with policies standing in direct contravention to their faith and beliefs, be forced in this way to pay for their implementation?
Taxes are imposed across the entire population in order to meet the government's economic objectives, which include funding public works and maintaining services that operate for the care and benefit of the whole community. Free education, benefits where needed, and health provision are a part of this, and, subject to certain thresholds, everyone is required to contribute, so that none may be left in deprivation and need.
Just to be clear, Christians and adherents of other religions whose beliefs are doctrinally opposed to those being promulgated by Stonewall are all alike required to pay taxes. It is then a travesty if the money they willingly contribute to the upkeep of society be used to suppress and silence their core beliefs.
As a simple matter of social justice, Stonewall must not be supported in its political endeavour to reframe society's moral values and practice by public monies.
This is a clear misuse of public funds, but perhaps most shocking of all is that, by extension, money allocated in this way is being used not simply to promote a partisan political agenda, but actively to suppress views that don't conform with the Stonewall canon.
Tolerance and inclusivity may be the alleged mantra of this new faith, but views that cast doubt on the new Weltanschauung are being rigorously and viciously suppressed, with people who raise entirely justifiable concerns finding themselves reported for hate crime and homophobia.
Only recently, for example, a young man training to be a psychotherapist was thrown off his degree course and sacked from being a volunteer with Childline – and all because he dared voice concerns over the way gender confused children are being rushed into life-changing and possibly irreversible treatments without proper investigation or support.
The UK is undergoing regime change and, as happens with revolutions, the new ruling elite are proving merciless in establishing and consolidating power. According to recent figures released by the ONS, 59.3% of the population identify as Christian. At the same time the proportion of the population identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual is a mere 2%. Stonewall aims to change this – but the regime change they seek must not be funded by public money.
Rev Lynda Rose is founder of Voice for Justice UK, a group which works to uphold the moral values of the Bible in society.
