Source Record
LGBT Veterans Independent Review: Government response
Why this source is used
Government response to Lord Etherton’s review of the pre-2000 LGBT armed-forces ban.
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Source Status
- Publisher
- GOV.UK
- Type
- government
- Reliability
- high
- Cited by
- 6 pages
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Ban on LGBTQ+ Personnel in British Armed Forces
Despite the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales in 1967, the UK armed forces maintained an explicit ban on lesbian, gay, and bisexual personnel serving. The ban persisted in all branches—including Scotland and Northern Ireland—well into the 1990s.
Ban on LGBTQ+ Service Lifted in UK Armed Forces
The UK government lifted the ban on lesbian, gay, and bisexual people serving in the British armed forces, allowing open service across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
UK Government Apologises for Armed Forces LGBTQ+ Ban
On 19 July 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a formal apology in the House of Commons on behalf of the British state to LGBTQ+ veterans and service personnel dismissed or mistreated under the historic ban on serving, alongside the publication of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review. The Government accepted the review's 49 recommendations in December 2023.
Compensation Scheme for Dismissed LGBTQ+ Armed Forces Personnel
On 13 December 2024, the UK government opened the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme for applications, offering veterans dismissed or discharged under the historic ban a flat £50,000 payment or, for those who suffered other impacts, payments of £1,000 to £20,000 from a £75 million budget.
