Liverpool MP Dan Carden is helping to uncover the "trauma and devastation" caused by a ban on homosexuality in the armed forces.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs is giving £45,000 to LGBTQ+ charities who support individuals providing testimony to an independent review that is looking into the impact the pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the military has had on veterans.
The funds will “provide direct support to veterans and their families who are giving a submission to the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, including signposting to mental health and wellbeing support for those who may struggle before, during and after providing testimony”, according to the government’s website.
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Funding has been provided to Fighting with Pride (FWP), the LGBT Foundation and Forward Assist to ensure veterans are able to comfortably share their experiences serving in the armed forces. Liverpool MP, Dan Carden, has been working closely with the campaigners at FWP over the last year "to make sure that the voice of our veterans are heard in Parliament and justice is delivered."
The Labour representative for Walton told the ECHO : “The funding awarded to LGBT+ charities is vital to properly support veterans to take part in the government’s independent review into the impact of the pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the armed forces. The trauma and devastation the ban caused to thousands of veterans and their families must be uncovered and amends must be made. I am particularly proud to champion this cause as an Ambassador for Fighting With Pride.”
The independent review aims to "provide the opportunity for the government to better understand the lived experience of LGBT veterans who served prior to 2000, including how being discharged from the military because of their sexuality affects their life”.
The information and experiences gathered will be used to better tailor the government's support to the community. Veterans providing their testimony will be aided while providing their submissions to the review, for example through transcription of verbal testimony and offering one-to-one emotional support during the process.
To date, over 500 individuals have submitted their testimony to the independent review and these are then being used by the review team to create evidence-based recommendations as to how the government can meet its commitment to the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan and “ensure the service and experience of every LGBT veteran is understood and valued”.
Minister for Armed Forces and Veterans James Heappey said: “We want to ensure that those giving evidence to the LGBT Veterans Independent Review are able to do so in a safe space. These grants will ensure that veterans who may require support when providing their testimony will be aided throughout the process.
"We want the voices of veterans to be heard so we can adapt our services to help all those who have served. I encourage those who have yet to submit testimony to the review to share their stories."
Hiren Patel, Operation Equality Project Coordinator for LGBT Foundation, added: “Through Operation Equality, we know LGBTQ+ veterans are still dealing with the fallout of the ban. It forced people to come out to family and friends and resulted in a loss of livelihood.
“Thanks to funding from the LGBT Veterans review, we can create a people, LGBTQ+-centric service that helps veterans access in-person story-sharing and support from our team, ensuring the experiences of a diverse range of LGBTQ+ veterans inform the research."
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