Letter: Commons vote continues to make criminals out of young homosexuals

Sir: As someone who knew he was gay at the age of 13 but had no one or nowhere to turn to for advice or support . . .

As someone who spent almost 20 years in the British Army before being 'outed' and discharged by the military, regardless of ability and still had no one or nowhere to turn to for advice or support . . .

As someone who believed for most of his life that the British way of life and justice was something to be proud of . . .

I cannot express deeply enough the shame and degradation I feel after last night's vote in the House of Commons. For too many years, I and many like me have had endured discrimination from all areas of society, yet, when face to face with those discriminators, I am told that it's not me in particular that they mean.

I am tired of being labelled second class, unreliable, inferior, a pervert. I, and every other gay person I have met, fit none of these categories. Sadly, I regret to say that the same cannot be said of the rest of society. It is a tragedy when 'family values' are reserved only for those prepared to conform, regardless of their personal feelings.

Yours,

ROBERT ELY

London, SW6

22 February