LGBTQ+ veterans announce they will NOT wear special badge awarded to them by the UK government

LGBTQ+ veterans have announced they will wear a special badge awarded to them by the UK government “with pride” but only when the Government has delivered all 49 recommendations from an independent report, including financial compensation for those affected.

Representatives from all armed forces attended a ceremony in Westminster on Tuesday, September 10 to receive the first of thousands of pin badges planned for those who served during 1967-2000, when it was illegal to be gay in the military.

Up until the year 2000, if you served in the Armed Forces, it was illegal to be gay. You could sacrifice everything for your country. But under criminal law, you weren’t allowed to love who you wanted to.

Former soldier Stephen Close, one of the first veterans to receive the ribbon-shaped badge, at the private ceremony, said: “These things need to be addressed and the wrongs put right – and then I’ll be quite happy to wear the ribbon.”

Sailor Emma Riley, 52, awarded the ribbon alongside Mr Close, said: “I can’t wear this yet.

“I don’t feel it’s appropriate and right to put it on until all the recommendations from the independent review are completed – and in particular the harder ones, like the financial compensation.

“It’s the harder ones that actually are going to make the most difference to veterans who were literally destroyed – their lives are destroyed.”

Craig Jones, from campaign group Fighting with Pride, said the amount offered “risks being seen as an insult”.

“It fails to take account of the shocking treatment inflicted upon a community of veterans who defended our peace and freedom but were treated in a way which the prime minister said had brought dishonour on our nation,” he added.