LGBT veteran denied compensation feels ‘punished for a second time’
RAF veteran Chris Dennis, 80, was deemed ineligible for LGBT reparations because he was kicked out of the army and court martialled for being gay in 1966, missing the window
The National Arboretum for the King dedicating the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial(Image: Andrew Stenning/Daily Mirror)
An RAF veteran discharged in 1966 for being gay has claimed he feels “punished for a second time” after being denied compensation.
Chris Dennis, 80, was deemed ineligible for reparations because he was kicked out of the army for being gay in 1966. Millions have been paid to LGBT veterans as compensation for those affected by the ban on gay people serving in the armed forces, but the scheme only applies to LGBT personnel who served between 1967 and 2000.
He told The Sunday Mirror : “Because I was discharged in 1966, following a court martial, I was denied any access to reparations. I was court martialled for being gay. I got a refusal that was just a boiler plate letter, they hadn’t even bothered to clean it up, saying sorry you were discharged in 1966, that’s prior to the scheme.”
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The ban, which remained in place until 2000 – long after homosexuality was decriminalised – saw thousands dismissed from the Army, Royal Navy and RAF. Mr Dennis, originally from London, went straight from school into the Royal Airforce as an air radar mechanic in 1961.
He said: “The one thing that I’ve never been allowed to do, if I go to a Remembrance ceremony, I’m not allowed to wear a beret with an RAF badge on it. It feels like I’m being punished for a second time, having to go through and remember all that happened. I just want them to be fair to LGBT veterans, regardless of when they were discharged, and how they were discharged.”
For many years the Mirror has supported Fighting With Pride’s campaign for LGBT Veterans to get the recognition, support and compensation they deserve.
Peter Gibson, Chief Executive, Fighting With Pride, warned the Government reparation is “not merely a box ticking exercise”. He said: “Chris misses the window for reparations which thousands of other LGBTQ+ Veterans are receiving by just a few months.
“It is grossly unfair that the Ministry of Defence will not simply extend even the non-financial reparations to people like Chris. To not provide him with his beret and an Etherton Ribbon is just simply mean and unkind, and lacks any sense of justice and fairness.”
Lib Dem MP Al Pinkerton MP, who raised the case at PMQs, called it “a profound betrayal”. He said: “Christopher served his country with pride, only to be dismissed due to his sexuality.
“The Government made a promise to restore the medals and dignity of our LGBT+ veterans, and yet Christopher has been met with nothing but a cold, impersonal dismissal. We owe our LGBT+ veterans more than a template letter; we owe them their honour back.”
An MOD spokesperson said: “We deeply regret the treatment of LGBT serving personnel between 1967 and 2000 which was wholly unacceptable as it does not reflect today’s Armed Forces. We are looking very closely at this issue. LGBT veterans have the same right to wear their medals and berets as other veterans.”
