“This month the Pride Alliance would like to highlight the contribution made be LGBTQ+ people to the military throughout history.\u00a0\u00a0Gay and lesbian citizens in the United Kingdom have been allowed to serve openly in the Her Majesty’s Armed Forces since 2000.\u00a0\u00a0The United Kingdom’s policy is to allow LGBTQ+ personnel to serve openly, and discrimination on a sexual orientation basis is forbidden.
\nIt is also forbidden for someone to pressure LGBTQ+ people to come out. \u00a0All personnel are subject to the same rules against sexual harassment, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.<\/p>\n
Stonewall, a British LGBT rights pressure group, spearheaded the movement to end British military prohibitions against openly LGBTQ+ service members. It began when Robert Ely, who had served in the British Army for seventeen years, approached Stonewall. \u00a0The discovery of a letter he had led to his sexual orientation being disclosed and he was subjected to an investigation and thrown out of the army.<\/p>\n
In 1998, Stonewall was approached by Jeanette Smith, who had been thrown out of the Royal Air Force, and Duncan Lustig Prean, a Royal Navy commander who was being dismissed. \u00a0They asked Stonewall to arrange legal representation, leading to a long battle through the courts with Graham Grady and John Beckett also joining the case. \u00a0Although the judges in the High Court and Court of Appeal said that they felt the ban was not justified they could not overturn it and Stonewall had to take the case to Strasbourg and the European Court of Human Rights before winning it.<\/p>\n
However, many LGBTQ+ people served in the military in the past, keeping their gender identity or sexuality secret out of fear.\u00a0 If you would like to learn more about some LGBTQ+ military heroes, please check out the Pride Alliance notice board in the foyer.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“This month the Pride Alliance would like to highlight the contribution made be LGBTQ+ people to the military throughout history.\u00a0\u00a0Gay and lesbian citizens in the United Kingdom have been allowed to serve openly in the Her Majesty’s Armed Forces since 2000.\u00a0\u00a0The United Kingdom’s policy is to allow LGBTQ+ personnel to serve openly, and discrimination on … Continue reading PRIDE ALLIANCE NOV 2021<\/span>