L&Q Group chief executive Fiona Fletcher-Smith also released a statement about the dispute. “We are proud to promote equality for people from all backgrounds,” it begins. “Whilst we respect that individuals’ freedom to hold particular religious or other beliefs is absolute, we do not tolerate it when these beliefs are manifested in a way that is derogatory or offensive to others.”
Fletcher-Smith adds that several housing residents complained about the leaflet, and L&Q “has a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination of any kind.” She defends the investigation and “appropriate action” the company took, adding, “We have also engaged with our diversity networks during this case and are united in our commitment to a zero-tolerance approach.”
L&Q Endorsed by LGBTQ Lobbying Group
In its article about Martin’s case, the pro-Conservative newspaper Daily Mail notes that L&Q values its endorsement from Stonewall, a gay-rights lobbying group. For the sixth time in nine years, L&Q appears on a top-100 employers list, based partly on a Workplace Equality Index.
An L&Q representative says, “Inclusion is a key value of ours, so to be recognized for our innovative work is a wonderful achievement.”
Martin, however, wonders whether her termination is tied to L&Q’s desire to be viewed favorably by Stonewall. “L&Q [is] a woke organization,” she says. “The endorsement from Stonewall was important to L&Q.”
A Stonewall representative insists that concern is unfounded, saying, “Entrants are assessed on a set of standardized criteria that measures whether their workplace is a welcoming environment for their LGBT+ employees, and nothing more.”
