LGBT veterans who were forced out of the UK armed forces due to their sexuality are being urged to apply for compensation before a looming deadline. The LGBT Veterans Financial Recognition Scheme, which offers payouts of up to £50,000, closes on December 12. The Royal British Legion and veteran Lee Buss-Blair are leading the call for former personnel to submit their applications.
Background of the Ban
The UK Armed Forces enforced a blanket ban on homosexuality until January 2000, which subjected LGBTQ+ personnel to intrusive investigations, bullying, abuse, dismissal, or even imprisonment. The ban affected those who served between July 27, 1967, and January 11, 2000. The Financial Recognition Scheme is one of the key recommendations from Lord Etherton’s review, commissioned by the government to address the injustices faced by LGBT veterans.
Lee Buss-Blair's Story
Lee Buss-Blair, now 55 and working for Riverside Housing, joined the army in 1986, 14 years before the ban was lifted. He was discharged in 1992 for being gay, under the term 'Services No Longer Required' (SNLR). Reflecting on his service, Lee said: “I loved my time in the service, but it came with the very real fear of not only losing a job I loved because of my sexuality but going to prison for it as well.”
For 25 years after his dismissal, Lee felt disconnected from the forces. However, his involvement with the Etherton Report helped him reconnect. He said: “I used to say for years, I'm too gay to be a squaddie, but too much of a squaddie to fit in in the gay scene. I never felt that I truly belonged anywhere.” About four years ago, he marched with the Royal British Legion at Brighton Pride, an experience he described as healing. “I felt like I was a gay veteran. For the first time, I felt like a whole person,” he added.
Urgent Call to Apply
The Royal British Legion’s Director of Campaigns, Policy and Research, Hannah Pearce, said: “The ‘gay ban’ was cruel, unjust, and led to the discrimination and abuse of thousands of LGBTQ+ people in the Armed Forces community who had dedicated their lives to serving their country and were forced to leave the military.” She urged eligible veterans to contact the Royal British Legion or Fighting with Pride for help with applications before the December deadline.
Impact of the Ban
Lee served in the Gulf War in 1990 and later as a reservist in Bosnia. He faced constant fear of being caught and sent to military prison. “You live in constant fear… you kind of knew that there was a risk of harm, a risk of physical psychological harm from being caught,” he said. He noted that some veterans experienced even more severe abuse, including physical and sexual assaults. “This is why I think that financial reparations are really important… that level of psychological and physical impact deserves to be recognised with a financial form of compensation,” he concluded.
