The CEO at Mental Health First Aid England will be starting this new position in September
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY JASON ALDEN
Stonewall has announced that Simon Blake OBE will be starting as their new Chief Executive in September. Simon is currently the Chief Executive at Mental Health First Aid England and has previously been the CEO of the National Union of Students and the sexual health charity Brook.
Having previously worked with Stonewall two decades ago to help repeal Section 28, Simon will be joining Stonewall at a critical moment following the UK general election in July.
Following this announcement, Simon said: “I was 15 years old when Stonewall was launched. A young gay man who grew up learning that at best, gay people were not good enough, and at worst we were dangerous and predatory. We were unequal in the eyes of the law and discrimination was blatant, expected and acceptable.”
“Since then Stonewall has played an enormous role in creating legislative and culture change for LGBTQIA people, and wider society,” Simon continued. “But we still have so far to go. Every single person deserves to live safely and confidently, free from prejudice and harm. All the evidence shows how much still needs to be done. In over 60 countries around the world, homosexuality is still criminalised. In the UK, hate crime against lesbian, gay, bi and trans people hasrisen exponentially. LGBTQIA children and people are still being bullied at school and hurt in their communities, and too many LGBTQIA people fear being out at work.”
“This has to change. We cannot allow another generation to grow up with the prejudice, discrimination and fear that so many of us did, or for prejudice to blight the lives of LGBTQIA communities. In an increasingly polarised world, empathy is built and change created through conversation, dialogue and alliances. Stonewall has always been at the vanguard of change. I am honoured to have been appointed as CEO and I am excited to work with, for and on behalf of our diverse LGBTQIA communities.”
Nancy Kelley, who was appointed as DIVA’s Chief Executive in April this year, held the position of Stonewall CEO from 2020-2023. She has continued her work fighting for trans rights at DIVA, recently co-founding the Trans Solidarity Alliance campaign #TransYouthAreLoved.
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