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The Government has officially responded to a report by Lord Etherton, which uncovered the awful experiences of thousands of LGBT+ veterans and has opened Application and Registration of Interest forms for those who are affected by the ban to access restorative measures.
Although the Government confirmed it would implement all of the report’s recommendations, Help for Heroes is seriously concerned. The £50M compensation pot cap (estimated to be around £20,000 per victim) falls substantially short of what is needed to cover the loss of earnings and pensions for those who were wrongfully forced out of their careers, let alone providing security and a sense of justice.
The way that LGBT personnel were treated between 1967 and 2000 was unacceptable. Our response to Lord Etherton’s Review demonstrates the positive action we are taking to help rectify this regrettable chapter in the history of the Armed Forces.”
Secretary of State for Defence
ACTIONS NEEDED
Write to your MP and call for the cap to be scrapped.
Within his report, Lord Etherton detailed findings from the personal accounts of many military men and women, who suffered a range of injustices. These range from sexual abuse, violence, bullying and harassment to criminal prosecution, imprisonment and wrongful discharge due to the pre-2000 Armed Forces homosexuality ban.
All you need to do is select the button below and enter your contact details and postcode into the box. This will show you who your MP is and bring up a template letter for you to send. We’ve provided text to use in the template letter, but please, if you have time, do edit to make it more personal. MPs are more likely to take notice of personalised emails and queries.
Apply for non-financial restorative measures
If you are a veteran who was impacted by the pre-2000 ban, the Government has launched forms and guidance on applying for 14 different non-financial restorative measures. These include restoration of medals, applying for veteran’s badges, LGBT service ribbons, disregards and pardon schemes, and a copy of an official apology from the Prime Minister and Chief of Staff.
Information on applying for the financial award scheme is not yet available but will be added to the LGBT Veterans: support and next steps page when it is launched.
We strongly support Fighting with Pride’s campaign to bring about justice for LGBT+ veterans. It has been over 20 years since the ban was lifted. We must ensure that these measures and financial compensation, do them the justice they deserve."
Director of Public Affairs
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