Following the announcement that LGBTQ+ veterans who were discharged from the forces due to their identity will now be able to reclaim medals, an gay ex-RAF member has said an official apology should be issued to those who were discriminated against.
The medal scheme was recently set up by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to correct ‘historical wrongs’, as prior to 2000, LGBTQ+ service personnel were removed from the forces if their sexuality or gender identity was made public.
However, one veteran believes this is not enough. 52-year-old David Bonney, who joined the RAF when he was 17, told Plymouth Live that service members were frequently spied on, and so he had to keep his brief relationship with a male red cross worker a secret.