On this page you will find information about:
- The Pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the UK Armed Forces.
- Representation of the LGBTQIA+ Armed Forces Community.
- Information for currently serving and ex-service personnel from the LGBTQIA+ community.
The term LGBTQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual, but represents many more people in their experience and expression of gender and/or sexuality.
Being part of the Armed Forces community means that you have access to networks which can provide support, camaraderie and connection.
Find out more about the Armed Forces LGBTQIA+ community.
RBL Pride Poppy Badge
The LGBTQIA+ community is a vital part of our Armed Forces and the Royal British Legion. Providing visible symbols of support for the LGBTQ+ Armed Forces community is an important show of allyship and a demonstration that the RBL is a safe and inclusive space. Therefore, we have introduced the RBL Poppy Pride Badge to show solidarity with those who have faced and continue to face discrimination or marginalisation due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, particularly those who served under the military’s pre-2000 ban on LGBTQIA+ personnel.
Purchase an RBL Pride Poppy Badge online from the Poppy Shop.
The pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the military
The pre-2000s ban made your sexual orientation and/or gender identity potential grounds for discharge. Many personnel were forced to leave service, and some were additionally charged with offences.
Find out about applying for restorative measures for LGBTQIA+ Veterans.
The history of the pre-2000 ban
In 1855 the Labouchere Amendment was passed in parliament. It was under this act that Oscar Wilde and Alan Turing, among many others, were convicted and punished.
Find out more about the Labouchere Amendment.
Read about Alan Turing’s life and legacy.
In the 1950s, laws were passed that affected all three branches of HM Armed Forces, making it an offence to commit any homosexual acts whilst serving.
These were the:
It became the policy of all three services that homosexuality, whether male or female, was incompatible with service in the Armed Forces. Those who were found to be, or admitted to being homosexual, were required to leave service.
In 1967, the Sexual Offences Act was passed which legalised private homosexual acts between two consenting adults over the age of 21. However, sub-section 1(5) meant this did not prevent an act from being an offence under any provision of the Army Act 1955,
the Air Force Act 1955 or the Naval Discipline Act 1957.
Find out more about the Sexual Offences Act 1967.
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 made homosexual acts on their own no longer offences under the Armed Service Acts, but still allowed homosexual acts to be grounds for discharging a member of the Armed Forces.
Read the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
In 1996, four veterans, who had been discharged due to their sexuality, instituted proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.
The historical ruling found that there had been a violation of Article 8, the right to
respect for private and family life, and a violation of Article 13, right to effective remedy.
In January 2000, following the judgements, the Armed Forces’ policy of administrative discharge for homosexual orientation was withdrawn.
This allowed LGBTQIA+ serving personnel to focus their efforts on their service
without fear of discharge.
The LGBT Veterans Independent Review
The December 2023 the Government released it's response to the LGBT Veterans Review including restorative measures.
Find out more about applying for restorative measures for LGBTQIA+ veterans.
The LGBT Veterans Independent Review was established as part of the Veterans' Strategy Action Plan: 2022 to 2024, which details how the government will progress their support of veterans over a two-year period. The Review is independent from government and the Armed Forces, and is running between June 2022 and Summer 2023.
Read the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan: 2022 to 2024.
The Review was established to examine the effect of the pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the military, with the goal to form a better understanding of LGBTQIA+ veterans and currently serving personnel who served between 1967 and 2000.
The review
looked at three main areas:
- The effect the ban may have had on LGBTQIA+ veterans, or perceived to be LGBTQIA+, including the consequences for their future lives,
- the accessibility of veterans’ services for LGBTQIA+ people, and
- how to ensure that LGBTQIA+ veterans are recognised and fully accepted as members of the armed forces community.
During the Review there was a call for evidence. The call for evidence allowed a number of individuals, including veterans, their families and those who were involved in delivering the ban, to submit a testimony.
The review was published in
July 2023.
Read the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
In December 2023 the Government published its response to the findings.
Read the Government's repsonse to the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
The Royal British Legion and LGBTQIA+ veterans
We are the largest provider of both welfare support and comradeship for the Armed Forces community within the charitable sector. Any person who has served for a day in HM Armed Forces, or their dependents, even if they received a dishonourable discharge, are eligible for support from the Royal British Legion.
Find out more about who is eligible for support from the Royal British Legion.
Learn more about the support that the Royal British Legion provides to the Armed Forces Community.
Support for the LGBTQIA+ Armed Forces community
We can support any LGBTQIA+ member of the Armed Forces whether they served under the ban or have entered Service since. We acknowledge this has not always been the case and there is still more for the Royal British Legion to do to continue moving forward.
In the past, provision of welfare support from the military charity sector was often not available to those who were discharged as a result of the Ban.
Until 2003, the Royal British Legions’s Royal Charter stated that
eligibility for support would be open to "any man or woman who has previously received 7 days' pay as a regular, reserve or auxiliary member of the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force, who has obtained an honourable discharge.”
In
2003 the wording was amended to remove the words “who has received an honourable discharge”, officially allowing those who had been dismissed in an alternative manner due to their LGBTQ+ status eligible for RBL services and support.
Find out more about RBL’s Royal Charter.
How the RBL supports the LGBTQIA+ Armed Forces community
In recent years we have begun to set up schemes to support LGBTQIA+ veterans, including:
- Establishing the first ever LGBTQ+ Allies branch in 2019.
- Appointing our first Head of Diversity and Inclusion in 2020.
- Working with advocacy group, Fighting with Pride, to include a cohort of LGBTQIA+ veterans in the march past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
- In 2021 the LGBTQIA+ Allies Staff Network was established to ensure that all staff are comfortable to be their true selves in every Legion environment and progress the Legion's stance on diversity and inclusion.
- The LGBT Veterans Review Helpline was set up in October 2022 to support individuals providing evidence to the Review.
Learn more about the LGBTQ+ Allies RBL branch.
Read about why LGBTQIA+ community groups are important.
However, we are aware that despite improvements, there is more to be done both within RBL and the wider Armed Forces charity sector. The sector must commit to learning from LGBT veterans to understand their unique experiences. We, therefore, commit to incorporating the recommendations of the Review and seeking to improve our policy and practice where necessary.
Read Kate’s story and learn about life before the lifting of the military ban.
Learn about David’s service with the Royal Engineers which was cut short by the ban.
Representation of he LGBTQIA+ Armed Forces community
During Remembrance
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are represented at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
Fighting with Pride is among the many organisations that lay wreaths at the monument to remember those who have served to defend our democratic freedoms
and way of life.
In 2023, the charity laid wreaths in each capital city and other locations throughout the UK.
How do I sign up to march during Remembrance as a veteran?
If you would like to march as part of an organisation which specialises in support for the LGBTQ+ Armed Forces community, you can apply to march with Fighting with Pride.
Applications to take part in this years Cenotaph March Past have now
closed.
Visit the Fighting with Pride website to find out more about the charity.
At Pride marches
Personnel from all three services have proudly marched since 2008. If you are interested in marching during Pride we have included some helpful information below.
Staff, members and supporters from the Royal British Legion will march
during London Pride this year.
Information about 2025 Pride marches will be available closer to the time.
How do I sign up to march during Pride as a veteran / ex-service person?
LGBTQIA+ Veterans charity Fighting With Pride (FWP) has a presence at Pride parades across the country.
Find out more about Fighting With Pride on the charity’s website.
Get in touch
To find out more about how to join Fighting With Prides’ presence at Pride Parades contact the team via:
Email: [email protected]
Further representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Armed Forces:
Finding LGBTQIA+ support for currently serving personnel in the Armed Forces
Recruitment and life in service
The Ministry of Defence is strongly committed to making diversity and inclusion integral to its policies, functions, and services.
And so, they created a Joint Service Publication to explain the legal overview, policies and guidance for the
effective recruitment and management of transgender personnel in HM Armed Forces. The document also includes advice on the medical care and treatment of transgender personnel and information on support groups.
How to have your records updated to your affirmed gender if you are currently serving.
You can have your service records, documents and employment details amended to your affirmed gender even if you do not have a Gender Recognition Certificate.
If you have been able to/have chosen to acquire a Gender Recognition Certificate you
will additionally be able to have copies of your birth certificate, and academic certificates amended.
Learn more about having your records updated to your affirmed gender.
Records should be updated with your consent to ensure that they are updated accurately with your correct name, title, and gender.
Where there is no need to retain records which reveal your gender history such as your original birth certificate,
marriage certificate or academic qualifications, these documents should be made restricted to those personnel who require the information to carry out their specific duties.
Failure to store, manage or process information held in these
records may be unlawful. Furthermore, disclosing information about a transgender person’s gender history can in certain circumstances amount to a criminal offence.
What is a Gender Recognition Certificate?
A Gender Recognition Certificate is a document which legally recognises your affirmed gender in the UK.
Acquiring the certificate means that you can:
- Update your birth or adoption certificate, if it was registered in the UK.
- Get married or form a civil partnership in your affirmed gender.
- Update your marriage or civil partnership certificate, if it was registered in the UK.
- Have your affirmed gender on your death certificate when you die.
Learn more about Gender Recognition Certificates and how to apply.
Guidance for parents and having children
MOD Guide for Parents of LGBTQIA+ Children
The Ministry of Defence’s LGBT network, and allies across the Armed Forces, have created a handy guide for parents of LGBTQIA+ children. The guide includes information, advice and recommendations for extra support you can receive from other organisations.
Explore the MOD’s Guide for Parents of LGBTQ+ Children.
Guidance for LGBTQIA+ personnel becoming parent
The LGBTQ+ Networks (RAF Freedom Network, Army LGBT+ Forum, and Royal Navy Compass) have created an online LGBTQ+ Parenting Handbook to provide support for diverse families and LGBTQ+ serving personnel who are thinking about having children.
Each service offers its own unique operational environments and challenges, so where possible different, service-specific information has been included.
Find more information about this online LGBTQ+ Parenting Handbook here.
Resources to support you if you are experiencing discrimination
Discrimination because of sexual orientation
Citizens Advice provides information on discrimination because of sexual orientation, covering topics such as discrimination in the workplace, education, and housing.
Your rights in relation to discrimination
GOV.UK provides information explaining different types of discrimination and your rights when it comes to being discriminated against.
Read about discrimination and your rights on GOV.UK.
Other organisations
Fighting with Pride
Fighting With Pride (FWP) works to ensure that LGBT+ Veterans, serving personnel and their families receive a warm welcome wherever they seek help.
The charity was founded in 2020 on the 20th anniversary of the lifting of LGBTQIA+ Service ban, by individuals in the Armed Forces community with ‘lived experience.’
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have my records updated to my affirmed gender as an ex-service person or veteran?
If you began living by your affirmed gender after leaving the Services, you can have your Service records amended.
Learn more about having your records updated to your affirmed gender.
However, due to the way that the Department stores its records digitally it may not always be possible to alter individual records.
To begin this process, contact the Joint Personnel Administration Centre (JPAC).
Get in touch
Contact the JPAC Enquiry Centre via:
Telephone: 0800 085 3600
Telephone overseas: +44 (0) 141 224 3600
I received a discharge/was convicted because of my sexuality/gender identity, can I have my medals restored?
If you were discharged from the Armed Forces or received a conviction under a specified legislation which has now been decriminalised, you may be eligible to reclaim your medals.
In 2000, the ban on members of the LGBTQIA+ community serving
in HM Armed Forces was lifted. Prior to this, personnel who were found or admitted to being in violation of the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955, or the Naval Discipline Act 1957, were required to leave service.
In the course of discharge,
some personnel forfeited medals for which they were eligible.
In 2021, the Ministry of Defence introduced a new policy which allows former Armed Forces personnel who were dismissed from service because of their sexual orientation or gender
identity to apply to have their medals restored.
Anyone who believes that these conditions apply to them is entitled to have their case considered under this policy.
Learn more about the policy on the GOV.UK website.
Eligibility
The Medals Office will review service records where available to confirm that applicants meet the criteria for restoration.
Find out more about the Ministry of Defence Medals Office.
In addition to their application form, clear evidence that the individual’s discharge from the service and forfeiture of medals was for a reason primarily connected with sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
Applicants may be given
the opportunity to provide further information if the Medal Office does not feel that the evidence is substantial.
Read more about Eligibility criteria on the GOV.UK website.
How to apply
If you or a deceased individual were discharged from service solely since their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and were not subject to a conviction covered by section 92 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, you should apply directly to the
Medal Office.
To apply to the Medals Office please complete the application form and attach a cover letter which summarises the circumstances of discharge from service. Then return the signed form to:
MOD Medal Office, Room G36, Innsworth House, Imjin Barracks, Gloucester, GL3 1HW
Begin your application on GOV.UK.
If you received a conviction for sexual offences which have since been decriminalised, you must be able to present a valid disregard determination from the relevant authority, for example, the Home Office.
Disregard determinations can only be granted to living individuals and are not available to next of kin.
Find out more about applying for a disregard determination or pardon in:
Can I have my medals replaced and/or reissued with my affirmed name?
Currently serving and ex-service personnel can apply to have their medals re-issued or replaced with their affirmed name and gender.
The MOD Medal Office will reissue replacement medals engraved with your affirmed name, initials and service
number. However, your medals will retain the rate/rank that the individual held at the time the medal was originally awarded.
Medals which are issued under these circumstances are considered re-issued rather than replacement and will not
be marked with the letter R as is done to mark a replacement. They may also be provided at public expense.
Learn more about the re-issuing of Service medals.
The contemporary service number you were given may have been gender specific. If this is the case the MOD Medal Office may wish to offer you a new medal without including a service number. These instances are considered on a case-by-case basis.
How to apply
Apply in writing to the MOD Medal Office to have your medals re-issued with your affirmed name and gender.
- The letter should be marked ‘Personal for the Officer in Charge MOD Medal Office’.
- All original medals the individual wishes to be re-issued should be enclosed.
- Proof of their ‘date of declaration’ together with details of their new surname, initials and service number should be enclosed.
Send you application to:
MOD Medal Office, Room G36, Innsworth House, Imjin Barracks, Gloucester, GL3 1HW.
If you cannot provide your original medals
If it is not possible to provide your original medals the MOD will treat the application as a request for replacement medals which are ‘lost’ or ‘stolen’. Replacement
medals include details of your affirmed name, initials, and service number but will be marked with the letter R and be provided at the applicant’s private expense.
Get in touch
Contact the Medals Office via:
Telephone: 0800 085 3600
Telephone overseas: +44 (0)141 224 3600
Email: [email protected]
Address: MOD Medal Office, Room G36, Innsworth House, Imjin Barracks, Gloucester, GL3 1HW.
Can I apply for a Veterans ID card?
Those who served in HM Armed Forces you can apply for the Veterans ID card. The card can be used to verify your service to organisations like the NHS, local authorities, and charities.
If you left service after December 2019, you will be automatically
given a Veterans ID card.
Find out more about the Veterans ID card and how to apply online of by post.
Am I eligible for the veterans badge?
Every person who has served in the UK Armed Forces, including those who may have received a discharge a result of the ban, is eligible to apply for the veterans badge.
- British Army,
- Royal Navy,
- Royal Air Force,
- volunteer or regular reserves.
The only exceptions are if you served in the Armed Forces of another country, or served alongside the UK Armed Forces.
Learn more about the Veterans Badge and begin your application.
Can I join HM Armed Forces if I am a person who is transgender?
Yes, you can join the regular and reserved forces if you are a person who is transgender.
It is Ministry of Defence policy that any Service person who identifies as transgender is treated with dignity and offered the appropriate level of support.
