Our response to Imperial's Stonewall review

The university has announced that it will annually review its Stonewall membership to ensure it provides good value for money and aligns with the university.

What is Stonewall?

Stonewall is an LGBTQ+ charity that for 35+ years, has campaigned for equal rights for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Imperial is currently part of Stonewall's Proud Employers Programme. Through this programme, Stonewall works with organisations and employers to ensure LGBTQ+ staff are accepted without exception in the workplace. With the membership, Imperial gets access to Stonewall’s expert consultancy and evidence-based training material.

As this partnership thus far has been a success, we at the union strongly lobby the university to continue with its Proud Employers membership and continue to protect the LGBTQ+ members of the Imperial community.

The university was considering moving away from Stonewall and starting their own LGBTQ+ Action Committee. After much consultation and reviewing many different options, the university has decided to annually review its membership, remaining part of the Proud Employers Programme.

What is the union doing?

At the union, we’ve supported Imperial’s Stonewall membership and have been vocal in opposing a transition away from membership. Moving away from Stonewall accreditation without a robust alternative has the possibility of diluting the already precarious rights of our LGBTQ+ staff and making improvements an afterthought.

In December of 2025, Union Council voted against ending the university’s Stonewall membership, and pledged to lobby the university to renew and to consult LGBTQ+ staff and students before making any LGBTQ+ related policy changes. Your Deputy President (Welfare), Anson, also conducted a focus group with students, and the sentiment was overwhelmingly against leaving Stonewall.

With the recent EHRC guidance and last year’s Supreme Court ruling significantly damaging the rights of Trans+ people, the Stonewall Proud Employers accreditation is more important than ever. Since the ruling in 2025, we at Imperial College Union have disagreed with the outcome and believe that the Supreme Court’s decision poses a major setback for the rights of Trans+ people. We - as well as the university - remain committed to our LGBTQ+ students, members of staff and members of the Imperial community. We will continue to liaise with and lobby the university to ensure that the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ staff and students are not minimised or infringed upon.

Helpful links for our LGBTQ+ Community

We know news like this can be upsetting and it can feel like it is all piling up. If you need any support, here are some valuable services that can help.

Union Advice Centre
Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service
If you experience or see harassment you can use the Report and Support Tool to disclose information about what has happened and ask to be contacted by one of our confidential, specialist Student Support Advisers.
Mindout: Mental health charity for LGBTQ+ people
Notaphase: Charity for trans people, they also have free gym classes for trans people
Trans Legal Clinic
London Friend

If you would like further support, you can reach out to:

Galop: 0800 999 5428

Mindline Trans+: 0300 330 5468

Mermaids: 0800 801 0400

Switchboard: 0800 0119 100