Justice still hasn’t been done for the LGBT+ people the army once banned

Making amends for past injustices is part of the equal rights struggle

Thursday 26 December 2019 00:45 GMT
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Sam Smith records alternative Queen's speech for LGBTQ community

Two decades have passed since the ban was lifted on openly gay people serving in the UK armed services, on 12 January 2000. That was a welcome step towards full equality in one of the more conservative parts of British society, yet the wheels of justice have turned exceedingly slowly since then.

An important part of recognising equal rights is making amends for past injustices. By ending discrimination in the military on grounds of sexual orientation, as required by the European Court of Human Rights, the British state accepted that the victims of such discrimination had been wronged.

As we report today, the government knows of more than 150 people who were discharged from the armed forces because of their sexuality. But this figure, compiled by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), records only the number of people who have applied for compensation – there could be many more who have suffered unfairly.

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