Stonewall Leadership Programme
Anyone else heard of this?

My company sponsers two candidates to go on it:

The programme is aimed at lesbian, gay and bisexual staff with the potential to be senior decision makers within five years. Typically, participants will already be highly credible, at middle management level with a 5-10 year proven track record of delivery.

The objective of the programme is to provide individual gay employees with new skills and inspiration to be better leaders in the workplace.


Either this means they think gays don't have the mental capacity for a 'normal' training scheme

Or
they are trying to get more gays into higher positions, thus admitting they've been discriminating against them thusfar.

Either way, it's a little fucked up.
( Joe Scaramanga with a G-double-O-D vibration, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 12:24, 10 replies)

Are you straight? If so, sign up for it
and shout about discrimination against your sexual orientation when they don;t pick you.
(yeknom 's usual account has locked him out, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 12:40, closed)

I would like to be associated with the comments of mr Yeknom =)

(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 12:42, closed)

FFS...
...you're right about this - {gayer here, for context} - what the fuck do I need a 'special course for gays' for? Preferring cock affects my intellectual capacities not one iota, so I'm perfectly capable of learning along with the others, thanks verr'mush. Also this casts a question on my/our strength of character, suggesting I'm/we're too limp-wristed to hold my/our own in a leadership role. Cheeky fuckers.

If I were offered this, I'd likely end up with a formal warning for verbal abuse.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm familiar with Stonewall, and they do some good work for gay rights, but this one is a turkey. And yeah, I'm with Yenkom too - that should make sure this bullshit gets ditched toot sweet.

Absolute bollocks.
(thatblokeoverthere not quite as much an arsehole as I thought, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 12:43, closed)

A gay man
looked at bum once in Brighton.
(frankspencer, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 12:44, closed)

@ Frankie...
...wasn't me - well, not in Brighton anyway ;)
(thatblokeoverthere not quite as much an arsehole as I thought, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 12:51, closed)

In response
a friend and I did consider applying, but since you have to submit a 200 word statement explaining why you should be accepted we just figured they'd reject us on the grounds that we couldn't right a good enough essay to cover their arses... as it were.

And as thatblokeoverthere said, it's a shame because Stonewall is such a great organisation usually.
( Joe Scaramanga with a G-double-O-D vibration, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 14:27, closed)

The reason they do this stuff..
..is so that people who are disadvantaged in normal life due to prejudice or discrimination are given some assistance to improve, plus it also generates some good role models (and in turn, reduces discrimination). I suggest it's the latter case that's important here, as if you've already managed 5-10 years you've coped with most of the crap that'll be thrown your way already..

In theory it's fine, but ideally should also extend to someone that isn't subject to discrimination but needs a bit of help.

However, it's Stonewall we're talking about here - not 'the management help programme' and thus what's the problem with them asking to restrict it to queer peeps?

I don't see the problem with giving assistance to disadvantaged people; the real problem is when even after assistance the final decision isn't made on an equal basis (such as that infamous welsh election where they tried to enforce a woman only shortlist..)
(EssY, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 18:51, closed)

Although having said that
In this case I think Stonewall is wasting money that could be better spent elsewhere - such as on people lower down the tree than '5-10 years management experience'.
(EssY, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 18:53, closed)

EssY
surely that assumes that EVERY gay and lesbian person leads an unhappy life where they are constantly berated, abused and generally picked on for their sexual orientation.

In the 21st century I think you'll find a large number of them lead happy, normal lives where they only have to cope with similar problems to 'straight' people
( Joe Scaramanga with a G-double-O-D vibration, Mon 26 Nov 2007, 11:45, closed)

Forgive me if I'm stereotyping here.
At a quick mental count, I know about 15 gay guys - obviously I'm straight (Only one wrinkly old lesbian - bah!). Without exception, they are all in management positions with jobs and salaries way above the rest of my social circle.

Surely it's us poor straight blokes who need the exra help, as we're the ones who wasted our early teens, trying (unsucessfully) to get into girls pants?!
(Greencloud Wanted to go fishing on, Tue 27 Nov 2007, 9:06, closed)