PM Rishi Sunak apologizes for the UK Armed Forces’ historic LGBT ban

On behalf of the UK government, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologized on Wednesday for the way in which LGBT veterans had been treated, calling a prior prohibition on their enlistment in the armed services a “appalling failure” of the British government.

After an independent study found that pre-2000 inquiries concerning someone’s sexual orientation were intrusive and invasive, some of them had serious and long-lasting effects on the lives of veterans and their families, Sunak apologized in the House of Commons.

 

“The ban on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people serving in our military until the year 2000 was an appalling failure of the British state – decades behind the law of this land,” said Sunak.

 

“As today’s report makes clear, many people who heroically served their nation during that time faced the most horrifying sexual assault and brutality, as well as homophobic bullying and harassment.

 

He stated, “I hope all those affected will be able to feel part of the proud veteran community that has done so much to keep our country safe. Today, I apologize on behalf of the British state.”

 

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Office for Veterans Affairs jointly commissioned the independent assessment, which was headed by Lord Terence Etherton and reviewed the experiences of individuals affected by the military’s prohibition on homosexuality between 1967 and 2000.

 

The treatment of LGBT service members and veterans before to the year 2000 has already been acknowledged by the government as being wholly inappropriate and unfortunate.

 

According to UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, “I am pleased that this review has shed much-needed light on a shameful and unacceptable historical chapter in our armed forces history.”

 

“It is terrible that many of our troops, sailors, and aviators were not allowed to fight for the tolerance and principles that we had expected them to. I’m glad we have the chance to make up for those historical errors so that LGBT veterans may once again be proud of their service, he added.

 

The major emphasis of Lord Etherton’s examination was on the potential effects the previous policy may have had on people affected by the prohibition, and what that could mean for their future lives.

 

It also examined ways to guarantee that LGBT veterans are fully recognized as members of the armed forces and the accessibility of veterans’ services for LGBT individuals.

 

The apology made today, according to Johnny Mercer, minister of veterans’ affairs, “is a crucial step in addressing the historic hurt that many LGBT veterans feel.”

 

In addition to learning from the past, Mercer added, “We’re also looking to the future, including stepping up support services for veterans affected by the issues raised in this review.”

 

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs said it is granting 250,000 pounds to LGBT organizations to offer support services for those affected veterans in order to help those affected by the historic prohibition.

 

The MoD said that this comes on top of the 45,000 pounds in funds given to organizations last year to assist them in gathering data for the assessment.

 

49 suggestions are included in the evaluation, some of which include the presentation of the Veterans Badge, the granting of campaign and other awards that were withheld, the restoration of medals that were supposed to be returned upon dismissal or discharge, and the clarification of pension rights.

 

The government declared its commitment to collaborating with LGBT veterans of the armed services to guarantee that any rehabilitative measures provided are acceptable.