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Compensation paid to dismissed gay servicemen & women

MOD stands to attention

Friday, 14 November 2008

It seems the British government has had to finally stand to attention when it comes to the equal rights due gay and lesbian servicemen and women. Its cost them too as the Ministry of Defence revealed that it has paid out £4 million in compensation to 65 former service personnel who were booted out of the armed forces because of their homosexuality. The average payout was £61,500.

The ban on gays in the British military was overturned in 1999, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that it was a violation of a person's right to a private life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. And now the bill has to be paid. Although, according to LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell, the payments are scant satisfaction to either those booted out of the armed forces or those campaigning to end the ban for the past three decades.

"These payouts are small compensation to people who were often subjected to degrading interrogation and detention, and who lost their job and service accommodation,” commented Tatchell. “They have ended up unemployed and homeless. For many gay and lesbian service personnel, dismissal from the military destroyed their distinguished careers and caused them immense financial and emotional suffering.

"Although this monetary compensation package is welcome and long overdue, what's really important is the official recognition that a grave injustice was done to these people and to hundreds of other dismissed lesbian and gay soldiers, sailors and air crews."

And as UK emerges from a period of remembrance surely now is the time the military realised they owe LGBT servicemen and women dignity as well as equality.

www.proud2serve.net