Help spread the word about restorative measures for those affected by the armed forces LGBT ban

Homosexuality was still criminalised in the armed forces until 2000, when LGBT people were banned from serving in the military. In 2022, the then government committed to “… deliver an independent review into the impact of pre-2000 practices on LGBT veterans” and commissioned the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, chaired by Lord Etherton.

The review’s final report provided the government with several recommendations for restorative measures, both financial and non-financial.

Applications for restorative measures close on 12 December 2026, and we want to encourage as many eligible people as possible to apply.

You may not have been directly affected by this, but you could work with or deliver services to people who are and don’t realise it.

If you, a colleague, resident or someone you support may have been affected, find out about recognition available and how to apply or download the Ally Toolkit.

Growing up, I had a clear vision as to what my future was going to be: a soldier.

I come from a family with a long tradition of military service, with a clear set of values that place serving your country, duty and honour as things that should be aspired to. And I did. I joined the 17th/21st Lancers as a tank driver. At the age of 16, I had achieved what I had always aspired to: my dream job.

But there was one inconvenient truth: I was a gay man. My desire to serve was strong enough for me to deny a big part of who I was.

I loved my job, but it became more complicated after my post-operational leave following the Gulf War in 1991. I met my first partner, and at that point I realised I had to make a decision between the job that I loved and being true to myself. I chose to be true to myself and leave the army in 1992.

Then the war in the Former Yugoslavia happened, and in 1996 I was contacted by the Ministry of Defence, who were seeking volunteers with my military skills to go and serve in Bosnia. I didn’t have to think twice and volunteered immediately.

It was during that tour that I was discharged because of my sexuality, but under the category ‘services no longer required’. I avoided a stint in prison but had a permanent record that I was not suitable to serve my country.

That also meant being taken off the reserve list, which denied me the opportunity to serve again when the Iraq war started. Every time a service person lost their life, especially someone from my regiment, that hit me hard. Serving in combat has left its mark on me, but the psychological impact of being denied the opportunity to serve again has had a more pronounced impact.

Not surprisingly, I didn’t seek any contact with the veteran community after Bosnia. Living with the shame of being booted out for who I was, it is easy to see why you would assume that you wouldn’t be welcomed.

I lived with two core parts of who I am: the veteran and the gay man, feeling as though they were in conflict with each other, incompatible.

That started to change when I took up my current role with Riverside and started to engage with the veteran sector as part of my role. I was actually welcomed back into the military family, much to my surprise.

My story is different from many people’s. There are some truly horrific stories out there about how people have been treated, much worse than my own story.

I think it’s understandable that LGBT veterans may think twice about making contact with any military organisation, or even identifying themselves as veterans.

But if they were impacted by the ban on LGBT veterans serving in the military, these restorative measures are for them. We deserve to have historical wrongs made right.

I had doubts about applying for restorative measures, whether or not I needed to, or if it was even justifiable for me to. Through the encouragement of others, I decided that I would apply.

I would say to anyone eligible for restorative measures, irrespective of what reparation you’re applying for, it’s worth it. The process is relatively straightforward and easy to navigate. Support is available from a number of organisations, including The Royal British Legion and Fighting With Pride.

For me, I have received the medal I was owed for my tour of Bosnia and, importantly, had my discharge qualified to make it clear that I was discharged because of an immoral and illegal law, and not because I was unfit to serve.

The gay man and the veteran aren't in conflict anymore, and I have reconnected with a family that I had lost.

That’s priceless.