Ministry of Defence launches review into the impact of LGBT ban as veterans share impact of rules 20 years on

The Cabinet Office has launched an independent review that will hear the stories of veterans who were stripped of their armed forces jobs and medals under homophobic laws that were in place until January 12, 2000.

The Office for Veterans' Affairs, which is part of the Cabinet Office, will be working with charities to improve the support offered to military personnel who were impacted by the ban.

The review will look into those who faced 'dismissals for disgrace', criminal convictions, and prison sentences.

Fighting With Pride, a charity that supports LGBT veterans, is working with the review and has welcomed its launch but described it as a ‘national disgrace’ that it had taken so long for it to happen.Co-director of the charity and a former Portsmouth-based Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, Craig Jones, said he revealed his sexuality on the day the ban was lifted because he felt a ‘sense of duty’ to others in the military who fought against it.The 53-year-old, who studied at the University of Portsmouth but now lives with his husband, Adam Mason, in Brighton, said: ‘I was deputy navigator on HMS Invincible and whenever I brought that ship into port, I always looked at the jetty to see if there was any police on the jetty.‘You can imagine what a huge distraction that is from your professional job because I was always waiting for the day when the police would take me away.‘But I came out on that day because I felt a sense of duty to the remarkably courageous men and women who fought to lift the ban.‘They’d lost their health and they’d lost their jobs and they’d lost their pensions and their peace of mind to some extent, but they still fought for justice and for my right, for my opportunity of service in the armed forces.‘I think the UK armed forces today are the best in the world for LGBT plus inclusion, but nothing has been done for those who were dismissed in disgrace, and it’s a national disgrace that nothing had been done.’

The retired officer was deployed to Northern Ireland during the Troubles and Arabia during the Gulf War.

He added he hopes the review will cause the government to provide compensation to those who lost pensions, issue a full apology, and invest in support services for LGBT veterans.

SEE ALSO: Gay Royal Navy veteran tells MPs she was 'blackmailed' due to her sexuality

Portsmouth South MP, and Labour’s former shadow armed forces minister, Stephen Morgan said: ‘

‘This is a landmark moment for those who were thrown out of our armed forces simply because of their sexuality, but the government must move further and faster towards justice for LGBT+ veterans.

‘This ban impacted thousands, including many in Portsmouth, but government’s track record in repaying the debt owed to LGBT veterans has been found wanting. The latest data shows the government has returned confiscated medals to just two LGBT+ veterans. Many others lost access to pensions and benefits and were stripped of their rank.

‘The government must use this review to ensure the diverse experiences of LGBT+ veterans are heard and consider what compensation would be appropriate to honour those who have served our country with courage and distinction.’

The Royal Navy has made huge efforts to improve the situation for sailors from LGBT backgrounds.

In 2019 Stonewall, an LGBT equality charity, placed the naval service in 15th on the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, which is a list of the nation's top 100 organisations.

Last year, the navy was also named in the top 100 employers in Britain for trans and non-binary staff by Stonewall.

Veterans minister, Leo Docherty, said the review will ensure that the government will learn from military personnel's experiences.

He said: ‘While the modern military embraces the LGBT community, it is important that we learn from the experiences of LGBT veterans who were affected by the pre-2000 ban.‘This review will allow the voices of veterans to be heard and importantly will help us better tailor support to the community.’The Cabinet Office said the review’s chairman will give further details on how veterans will be able to contribute to the review.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Subscribe here for unlimited access to all our coverage, including Pompey, for just 26p a day.