Justice for LGBTQ+ veterans
LGBTQ+ veterans deserve to receive financial recognition for the injustice they endured.
Up until the year 2000, LGBTQ+ people were banned from the British military. The ban had a devastating impact on many people who wanted to serve their country. People were criminalised, imprisoned, dismissed, and often stripped of their medals.
Too many people had their military careers ruined by this ban, all because of who they loved.
Stonewall campaigned to end this discrimination and lift the ban, leading to the ban’s repeal in 2000. However, although the ban was lifted, little to no support was given to the thousands of LGBTQ+ people who suffered as a result.
Lord Etherton’s review
In July 2023, the government published the Independent Review by Lord Etherton into the service and experience of LGBT+ veterans who served in the Armed Forces between 1967 and 2000.
The report collected testimony from LGBT+ personnel about their experiences and the impact of the ban. It made 49 recommendations, including that the Government issue a formal apology to LGBTQ+ veterans and they establish a financial recognition scheme to compensate them for what they went through.
Following from pressure from campaigning groups, in December 2024, the Government announced they would implement one of the key recommendations of the Etherton review and award LGBTQ+ veterans up to £75 million in financial recognition for ‘historic wrongs’.
LGBTQ+ veterans are still waiting for justice
Alongside other campaign groups, we are concerned about the slow progress of the scheme.
In May 2025 Fighting with Pride said only 24 payments had been made out of more than 1,000 applications. If applications continue being processed at this speed it would take more than 17 years to complete the financial recognition scheme for those that have applied.
We were pleased to hear Minister for Veterans, Al Carns, reaffirm the Government's commitment to financial recognition in July 2025 and address the delays.
We will continue to work with parliamentarians to push for the roll out of the financial recognition scheme more widely and hope to see more progress.
Other recommendations from Lord Etherton's independent review
As well as the financial recognition scheme, Lord Etherton’s review highlighted a number of other recommendations. As of July 2025, there are still five recommendations which are outstanding.
At Stonewall, we will continue to campaign for justice for LGBTQ+ veterans, working with parliamentarians and other campaigning groups to hold the Government to account.
