King honors LGBTQ military personnel at new UK memorial

ALREWAS, England (AFP) — Britain’s King Charles III on Monday laid a wreath at the U.K.’s first memorial honoring the contribution by LGBTQ personnel who served in the country’s military.

Although Britain began decriminalizing homosexuality for men in 1967, a ban on gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people serving in the military lasted until 2000.

Those who were found out or suspected of same-sex relations were often harassed, abused and sacked, according to a government-commissioned report released in 2023.

Besides losing their jobs and being subjected to public humiliation, those involved were sometimes stripped of their pension benefits, living the rest of their lives in poverty.

Charles, the head of the U.K.’s armed forces, was joined by dozens of serving personnel and veterans at Monday’s dedication of the memorial, called “An Opened Letter,” at the National Memorial Arboretum in central Staffordshire.

It is believed to be the king’s first such public engagement focused on the LGBTQ community.

“For hundreds of LGBT veterans, their experiences have been catastrophic — their lives and careers shattered,” Brigadier Clare Phillips told the dedication ceremony. “Today’s unveiling of this incredible memorial is about remembering that we stand on the shoulders of giants — those people who fought discrimination and persecution so we can now serve openly and proudly.”

The bronze memorial depicts a twisted letter, made out of a series of words, drawn from the testimonies of personnel affected by the ban.

The idea of creating a memorial was one of the 49 recommendations in the 2023 Etherton Review.

The report ordered by Britain’s then-Conservative Party government revealed the “horrendous” treatment of LGBTQ veterans who had served between 1967 and 2000.

The day it was published, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologized, calling the treatment of LGBTQ personnel an “appalling failure” of the British state.

Former armed forces members or employees who were mistreated during the ban, or sacked over their sexuality or gender identity, are now eligible to receive up to 70,000 pounds ($93,000) in compensation “to acknowledge the historic wrongs they experienced in the Armed Forces.”

In the United States, President Donald Trump has moved to ban transgender troops from the military and dismantle diversity, equality and inclusion programmes.

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By Agence France-Presse