Liverpool hosts Veterans Pride to celebrate the service of LGBT+ armed forces personel

A military base on Merseyside is playing host to the L G B T Q plus community later for a very special Pride event.

The Veteran’s Pride honours members of that community who are former and serving personnel from the in the UK’s Armed Forces.

It's being staged at the Royal Naval reservist base HMS Eaglet.

In a first event of its kind, the Veterans Pride will take place during LGBT history month on Saturday, 10th February, and has been created and organised by a team of partner military charities led by LGBT+ military charity Fighting With Pride. 

They have collaborated with members of the Forces Wellbeing Collective, Royal British Legion RBL and the LGBT+ healthcare and support charity, Sahir House.

The careers of many of the veterans attending tonight were cut short by the historic ‘gay ban’ which remained in place until January 2000.

Fighting With Pride says many of them continue to face difficulties to this day.

Caroline Paige MBE, Fighting With Pride’s Chief Executive said: “It is fantastic to see Armed Forces and veterans communities in Liverpool come together to honour the service of our incredible LGBT+ veterans, who met all the challenges of service in our Armed Forces but for whom careers often ended in sadness.

"At moments like these, we come together to demonstrate the warm welcome that exists in all our organisations for all of those who have served.”

Fighting With Pride was formed on the 20th anniversary of the lifting of the ‘gay ban’ to seek restorative justice for those affected.

For many, being removed from the Armed Forces resulted in ‘outing’, criminal records, loss of income, careers, homes, financial stability and health implications.

The impact of the ban endures and Fighting with Pride’s continued campaign for recognition and reparation for this severely disadvantaged group of veterans, many of whom served in the Falklands War, Northern Ireland and Gulf War, has won widespread support.

Kenny Bryce, Fighting With Pride’s UK Veterans Community Workers Team Manager, based in Liverpool said: “LGBT history month is a time to celebrate the achievements of LGBTQ+ Veterans and people in our communities, and in which we recognise the struggles that many LGBT+ people have faced in the past and that many still face today.”

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