On Monday (July 5), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office published an apology for its “misguided” ban of LGBTQ+ staff.
Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO and Head of the Diplomatic Service, shared a message to staff: “The ban was in place because there was a perception that LGBTQ+ people were more susceptible than their straight counterparts to blackmail and, therefore, that they posed a security risk. “Because of this misguided view, people’s careers were ended, cut short, or stopped before they could even begin. “And the diplomatic service undoubtedly deprived itself of some of the UK’s brightest and best talent. “I want to apologise publicly for the ban and the impact it had on our LGBTQ+ staff and their