LGBT and veterans charities urge Keir Starmer to spice up homosexual ban compensation
Military and LGBT charities have joined forces to urge Keir Starmer to properly fund compensation for victims of the UK military’s cruel “gay ban”.
A joint letter signed by the bosses of 23 of the UK’s largest LGBT and veterans charities – including Fighting With Pride, the Royal British Legion, Combat Stress and Help for Heroes – urges the government to increase the current cap on compensation, currently set at £50m.
Critics say that level of funding would mean an average payout of just £12,500 for victims of the ban, which existed until 2000 and saw personnel imprisoned, bullied, assaulted and outed against their will.
Last year, Rishi Sunak apologised on behalf of the state after a scathing report by Lord Etherington.
Of the 49 recommendations made in the report, compensation is the only one yet to be fully agreed.
The letter is signed by 26 chairs, chief executives and patrons – as well as Coronation Street actor and armed forces advocate Anthony Cotton.
It reads: “It is the shared view of the LGBT Veterans Coalition and our supporters that payments of this scale will not bring about the sense of justice these veterans deserve, and will not honour the service and sacrifice of a community who faced treatment Lord Etherington described as ‘a stain upon the illustrious history of the Armed Forces.’
“We must not deny LGBT veterans the justice they are due, nor deny the defence establishment this watershed moment in which the values we share today replace those of the past.”
Campaigner Craig Jones, who heads up the charity Fighting with Pride, said: “The funding intended for this scheme is inadequate and fails to take account of the shocking treatment inflicted upon a community of veterans who defended our peace and freedom, but were treated in a way in which the Prime Minister Said had brought dishonour to our nation.
“This is the moment for the government to do the right thing.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We deeply regret the treatment of LGBT serving personnel between 1967 and 2000, which was wholly unacceptable and does not reflect today’s Armed Forces. We are fully committed to ensuring this issue receives parliamentary scrutiny.
“We have already implemented 32 of the 49 recommendations from the LGBT veterans review and we are working with experts across Government to establish an appropriate financial redress scheme and will provide more details later this year.”
