LGBT ban review must now be swift and decisive

It seems like only yesterday that if you were discovered to be amemberof theLGBT community and in the armed forces you were treated as sub-human. But it was actually 22 years ago that the government finally put an end to barbaric rules which couldseeyouthrownoutof the military, stripped of your medals and dismissed in disgrace just for being gay.

And remember, there was a time of criminal convictions and evenprisonsentencesforthose found ‘guilty’ of such behaviour.

WhatCraigJonessaystoday is chilling. The one-time lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy is now 53 but once was deputy navigator in the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible.

He says: ‘Whenever I brought that ship into port, I always looked at the jetty to see if there were any police on the jetty.

‘You can imagine what a huge distractionthatisfromyour professionaljobbecauseIwas always waiting for the day when the police would take me away.’

Imagine living with that pressure every time you are trying to park an aircraft carrier.

But finally the Cabinet Office haslaunchedanindependent review into the impact that LGBTbanhadonveteranswho were kicked out of the military.

Butwhyonearthhasittaken nearlyaquarterof acenturyfor this review to be announced?

Mr Jones adds: ‘‘I think the UK armedforcestodayarethebest in the world for LGBT-plus inclusion, but nothing has been done for those who were dismissed in disgrace, and it’s a national disgrace that nothing had been done.

‘They’d lost their health, they’d lost their jobs they’d lost their pensions and their peace of mindtosomeextent,butthey still fought for justice and for my right, for my opportunity of service in the armed forces.’

Powerful words. Let’s hope that after so long the review is swift, comes to the right conclusionandcompensatesallthose affected.