This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Freemasons have been “undeservedly stigmatised” and are facing discrimination, one of the organisation’s leaders has said.

In adverts placed in the Times and the Daily Telegraph newspapers on Thursday, David Staples, the chief executive of the United Grand Lodge of England, said the organisation would be holding a series of open evenings to answer questions about who they are and what they do.

“The United Grand Lodge of England believes that the ongoing gross misrepresentation of its 200,000 plus members is discrimination,” Staples said in the advert.

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“Our members shouldn’t have to feel undeservedly stigmatised. No other organisation would stand for this and nor should we.”

Earlier this year, the outgoing chair of the Police Federation, Steve White, alleged that Freemasons were blocking reform in policing and thwarting the progress of women and people from black and minority ethnic communities – a complain that Staples rejected.

The Guardian then reported that two Freemasons lodges, set up for members of parliament and political reporters, were continuing to operate.

Staples denied that journalists or MPs were currently members, although one member of the lodge set up for MPs said four MPs were members, and that other MPs were members of different lodges. The Grand Lodge also said that nobody who joined the journalists’ lodge since 2000 had recorded their profession as a journalist.

In its advert, the Grand Lodge said it valued honesty, integrity and service to the community above all else, and that last year its members raised more than £33m for good causes.

“As an organisation we welcome individuals from all walks of life, of any race, faith, age, class or political persuasion. Throughout our 300-year history, when people have suffered discrimination Freemasonry has embraced them into our lodge as equals.”

After the Guardian asked Freemasons to share their experiences of the organisation, a number wrote to echo these values.

Peter, from London, a member for more than 20 years, said his lodge was quite diverse: “We have Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus and several Muslims. We are also proudly represented by brethren who are transparent members of the LGBT demographic.



“Though women have their own lodge I think the Grand Lodge will one day fully modernise and allow both sexes to mix – which will be great for the whole organisation and a day I look forward to.

“My work colleagues know I am a member and they haven’t batted an eyelid. I haven’t met any brother who refuses to share the knowledge of their membership and what we do there. I guess that’s quite surprisingly, well, ordinary.”

A Freemason and member of the police in south-west England, who asked to remain anonymous, said his lodge was “neither subversive, controlling, misogynistic or a cause for concern”.

“I was a slightly sceptical about the secret ‘Illuminati-esque’ image when I first joined but was disabused of the notion,” he said. “Masonry is steeped in tradition and its rituals are peculiar, but no more so than those in the Catholic Church.”

In media interviews, Staples has also claimed that an investigation by the Commons home affairs select committee concluded that there was “nothing sinister” about Freemasonry in Britain.

The investigation, in the late 1990s, concluded that “there are cases where allegations of improper masonic influence may well be justified” and recommended that Freemasons in the police, local government and parliament be required to declare their membership.