The candid opinions of the pioneering judge who investigated the prohibition of LGBTQ individuals from serving in Britain’s armed forces were made public last evening, almost a year after his passing.
Actor and peer Michael Cashman delivered a speech authored by the late Lord Etherton prior to his demise in May of last year at the Imperial War Museum.
During the lecture, Lord Etherton revealed the existence of “institutional homophobia” and distressing findings he encountered while conducting his inquiry into the ban that was enforced until the year 2000.
He exposed a culture marred by homophobia, bullying, coercion, sexual assaults, invasive probes into individuals’ sexual orientations, disgraceful medical evaluations including conversion therapy, abrupt discharges, and severe repercussions on mental health, homelessness, employment, relationships, and financial stability.
Lord Etherton highlighted the institutionalized homophobia within the Ministry of Defence and senior ranks of the Armed Forces that permitted abusive and aggressive investigations by the Special Investigations Branch to prevail unchecked.
The discourse coincides with ongoing concerns regarding the delayed compensatory payments to those impacted by the ban.
To date, 1,312 individuals have filed for financial reparations, with 986 seeking discharge payments. However, as of December 15th, only 667 cases had been resolved, while less than a third of the 1,053 applications for impact payments have been addressed.
Lord Cashman, known for his character in Eastenders that featured the first on-screen same-sex kiss in a soap opera in 1989, delivered Lord Etherton’s speech at an event hosted by actor Russell Tovey, with Lord Etherton’s spouse, Andrew, in attendance.
Peter Gibson, CEO of Fighting With Pride, emphasized the urgency for the Ministry of Defence to expedite the delivery of reparations to rectify the suffering caused by the oppressive policy. He urged veterans to seek support from LGBTQ+ Armed Forces charities in case of claim rejections.
The imperative lies with the Ministry of Defence to honor Lord Etherton’s legacy by swiftly fulfilling compensations and providing closure to affected individuals.