Share your views on the pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the Armed Forces


Veterans have been invited to share their views on the pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the Armed Forces.

The LGBT Veterans Independent Review wants to hear from any individual who served in the UK Armed Forces between 1967-2000. And an easy-to-use survey has been designed to gather information.

The call for evidence follows on from the appointment of The Lord Etherton PC QC last month.
He said:

The object of the Review is to provide evidence based recommendations to the government as to how best the government can meet its commitment to ensure that all veterans’ experiences are understood and their military service valued, and how best to acknowledge and remedy the injustice of dismissal of LGBT service personnel prior to 2000 on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
This call for evidence will ensure that veterans can share their experiences. I encourage all those affected by the ban to come forward with testimony in this safe environment, to shape the review’s recommendations.

Family members, academics and organisations, with an interest in the armed forces, are also welcome to participate in the research.

The testimony of LGBT+ veterans will feed into the review to examine the treatment of those affected by the ban. And to ensure the service and experience of every LGBT+ veteran is understood and valued. This will include evaluating the nature of their dismissal, and the impact that this had on their subsequent lives.

The Review will make its recommendations to the government in mid-2023.

The survey runs until the 1st December, 2022.