External Affairs Lead
28th June 2022
1:31pm
Image description: Adé Adeniji and Sonny Thaker from the Quest CIC sit together smiling, looking at an iPad screen. They are wearing t-shirts, glasses and Sonny wears a necklace and a rainbow stud earring.
A core part of our strategy is to lead with thought and action to break down the barriers that social entrepreneurs face. Alongside social entrepreneurs we are working hard and speaking out to make the sector more equitable. In 2020 we made a public commitment - “We want UnLtd to be actively anti-oppression, and inclusive for all, in everything we do”, and we have continued to grow, learn and act on this promise since then.
Recently we have witnessed organisations and events within the social sector, dropping the T&Q (Trans and Queer) from LGBTQ+. Sadly, this is part of a bigger trend in the UK of rolling back and resisting trans rights, alongside frequent transphobic content in the media. In the UK transphobic hate crime reports have been rising every year for the past five years. The Government's' LGBT conference was recently cancelled, due to more than eighty groups pulling out in response to reverting on their promise for a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy.
We want to make it clear that at UnLtd that when we support LGBTQ+ organisations, we welcome and support trans people, non-binary, gender diverse, genderqueer and gender questioning people. When we support organisations focusing on women’s issues and rights, we include trans women. When we support organisations focusing on men’s issues, we include trans men. We are committed to using an intersectional lens on social issues, and our own learning.
Our approach to backing social entrepreneurs has always been about more than the financial grant-making and investment: we believe in a personal approach which includes coaching, mentoring, campaigning and business training. We build long lasting relationships with those we’ve funded.
If you are an aspiring or current LGBTQ+ social entrepreneur, we are committed to ensuring that you receive gender and sexuality affirming high-quality support in all the interactions you have with our staff, creating the space for you to be your authentic self.
We understand how important those connections and interactions with our team and mentors are to help make your vision of social change a reality.
Pride month particularly is a time of celebration and recognition and support. So, we’d like to use this opportunity to celebrate some incredible people and organisations we’ve had the privilege of working with over the years:
If you would like to learn more about what you can do to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights, there’s some really simple actions we can all make for a better world:
We encourage you to check out the social ventures linked to above. And we also recommend other work that can provide more information, support and advice on this topic:
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