Sage and Stonewall partnership: Our progress in 2022

By Jane Makoff (she/her), global VP of marketing and executive sponsor of the UK LGBTQIA+ ERG.

Jane Makoff

Sage has been partnering with Stonewall, an LGBTQIA+ rights organization, since 2021 through the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. The effort helps us create a more inclusive and supportive environment for our LGBTQIA+ staff, both present and future.  

Stonewall was founded in 1989, one year to the day since Section 28 legislation banned the “promotion of homosexuality” by schools and councils across Britain and led to the suppression of LGBTQIA+ identities in schools. It played a crucial role in campaigning to repeal Section 28 (which didn’t happen until 2003), and they have been campaigning tirelessly for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people to help create change ever since. Over the last 30 years, Stonewall has been involved in every major fight for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, and Sage’s membership fees go toward supporting this important work.  

Stonewall has been a fantastic partner for us, supporting us with guidance and suggestions to become a more inclusive workplace. Sage’s Stonewall working group, comprised of our ERG leads, our HR partner, and other representatives across the business, meets monthly with Stonewall to work on a variety of initiatives toward this. In 2022 the Stonewall team worked with us to do the following:  

• Deliver training to UK senior leadership on championing LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

• Deliver a ”lunch and learn” talk for staff on allyship.  

• Provide feedback on our human resources policies and practices.  

• Support us all with our ongoing learning. 

• Provide guidance on demographic survey questions for future engagement surveys.

• Review and support our messaging and planning for LGBTQIA+ awareness days. 

• Provide guidance on communication around Monkeypox.