King Charles lays flowers at national memorial to LGBT+ armed forces veterans | LGBTQ+ rights

The King laid flowers at the UK’s first national commemoration of LGBT+ armed forces and met with veterans who spoke of the trauma caused by the military’s former “gay ban”.

Charles was joined by dozens of soldiers and former members of the armed forces at a tribute titled Open Letter at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Monday. This was his first official involvement in support of the LGBT+ community.

Among those taking part were those whose military careers were cut short before the ban was lifted in 2000. Thousands of people have been investigated, discharged, or forced to leave their careers because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. They faced lifelong consequences, including being slandered by family and friends and losing access to military pensions.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Brigadier General Clare Phillips told 300 guests: “I am a gay woman who has served in the British army for 30 years. The experiences of hundreds of LGBT veterans have been catastrophic, their lives and careers shattered.”

“For the serving community, today’s unveiling of this incredible memorial is about remembering that we stand on the shoulders of giants—giants who fought discrimination and oppression so that we can now serve openly and proudly. It’s about being able to say to our veterans: you belong and always have.”

Charles laid flowers at the memorial along with other guests, including the chief of the defense staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton.

Fighting With Pride, the LGBT military charity behind the monument, said the statue represented “a strong step forward in recognizing and honoring the service and sacrifice” of the LGBT armed forces community after historic mistreatment.

It takes the form of a crumpled bronze letter containing quotes from staff affected by the ban, which was in force from 1967 to January 11, 2000.

In 2023, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak apologized on behalf of the British state for the “appalling” historic treatment of LGBT people serving in the military after an independent review laid out 49 recommendations, including financial compensation and a public memorial.

Designed by the Abraxas Academy artist collective, the memorial was funded by a grant of £350,000 from the Department of Defense Veterans Affairs.

Peter Gibson, CEO of Fighting With Pride, said it was a “deeply emotional moment”.

“The devastation and devastation caused by people expressing their love has shortened successful careers and, in some cases, ended lives,” Gibson said. “Today is a klaxon call that signals that shame can be put aside and that anyone who wishes to do so will be welcomed back into their military families.”

Carol Morgan from Surrey, who attended, joined the army in the late 1970s but was kicked out after four years of service. He said his room was searched, he was interviewed for six and a half hours and he was sent to a psychiatrist because his sexuality was considered a mental illness.

“I hid my sexuality for over 36 years. It completely destroyed me,” Morgan said. “This monument means everything to us. Generations will know that we existed and that we weren’t just a dirty little secret.”

Former RAF firefighter Carl Austin-Behan joined in 1991 when he was 19 and was sacked six years later for being gay. He said: “I am struck by the significance of the LGBT+ memorial. An Open Letter takes me back to the letters I wrote and received during a period of intense secrecy, of secret words and shifting identities.”

Austin-Behan, from Manchester, was awarded a Royal Humane Society medal for trying to rescue a pilot from a Hawk aircraft at RAF Chivenor in Devon in 1992.

“In April 1997, the air force found out I was gay and I was escorted out of the camp within 10 minutes,” Austin-Behan said, adding that he “lost everything” and became homeless. “My life completely changed overnight because of my sexuality.”

Claire Ashton, who served in the Royal Artillery, said her “dream career” was ruined when she was forced to leave the army in 1972, aged 21.

“I’m in my 70s now and have forever lived with the psychological scars of being expelled from school – ‘medically discharged’ as my record states,” he said.