Editing Ben Summerskill (section)

==Politics==
Summerskill was a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] councillor for the Westbourne ward of [[Westminster City Council]] from 1994 to 1998.

During his time at Stonewall, Summerskill frequently attracted controversy over the organisation's decision not to support equal marriage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/partnerships/stonewall-undermines-campaign-for-gay-marriage.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104055323/http://petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/partnerships/stonewall-undermines-campaign-for-gay-marriage.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-01-04|title=Peter Tatchell: Stonewall undermines campaign for gay marriage|website=www.petertatchell.net|access-date=2017-10-12}}</ref> In a departure from many others in the LGBT rights movement, Summerskill also voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage while serving as Stonewall's chief executive. Speaking at the 2010 Liberal Democrat conference, Summerskill suggested "lots" of gay people didn't want same-sex marriage to be legal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/peter-g-tatchell/stonewall-equal-marriage_b_4979549.html|title=Up Against the Stonewall on Equal Marriage|website=HuffPost UK|date=17 March 2014|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-10-12|archive-date=12 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012150030/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/peter-g-tatchell/stonewall-equal-marriage_b_4979549.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The event was attended by [[Lynne Featherstone]], the minister for equality; [[Evan Harris]], president of Liberal Democrat LGBT group [[LGBT+ Liberal Democrats|DELGA]]; and Liberal Democrat MP [[Steve Gilbert]], all of whom questioned Summerskill's comments. A poll commissioned by LGBT outlet ''PinkNews'' found 98% in support of marriage equality.<ref name="What does Stonewall want if it isn’t gay marriage?">{{cite news|url=http://www.libdemvoice.org/stonewall-gay-marriage-21378.html|title=What does Stonewall want if it isn't gay marriage?|last=Reeves|first=Andrew|date=28 September 2010|newspaper=LibDemVoice.org|access-date=11 January 2013|archive-date=8 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608205523/http://www.libdemvoice.org/stonewall-gay-marriage-21378.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following a backlash that saw a number of calls for Summerskill's resignation, Stonewall confirmed it would support equal marriage in October 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/10/27/stonewall-says-it-will-campaign-for-gay-marriage/|title=Stonewall says it will campaign for gay marriage|work=PinkNews|access-date=2017-10-12|language=en-US|archive-date=22 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522050844/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/10/27/stonewall-says-it-will-campaign-for-gay-marriage/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Speaking to ''[[The Observer]]'' in March 2014, he controversially criticised the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] as having only supported [[same-sex marriage|equal marriage]] in order to draw "clear blue water" between their coalition partners, the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], despite Stonewall having not been in favour of equal marriage when the issue was introduced into the Coalition-led Parliament.<ref name="Obs 2014-03-16">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/16/stonewall-attacks-lib-dems-on-gay-marriage |title=Lib Dems' support for gay marriage 'cynical', says former Stonewall chief |author=Tracy McVeigh |work=[[The Observer]] |date=16 March 2014 |access-date=16 March 2014 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316061644/http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/16/stonewall-attacks-lib-dems-on-gay-marriage |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Peter Tatchell]] was particularly critical: "Stonewall does great work but the gay campaign for marriage equality faced an uphill struggle, which was made worse by Stonewall constantly undermining our efforts. Some of the arguments Ben and Stonewall put forward at the time [2010] were quoted by homophobes to justify their opposition to same-sex marriage and this was hugely damaging. I am not a supporter of the Liberal Democrats, but on the issue of same-sex marriage the party took an early position, while Stonewall did all it could to sabotage that position."<ref name="Obs 2014-03-16"/>