[News] Homosexuality and the Armed Forces.

nickbrighton said:

I served in the RAF from 1980 to 1992. I joined when I was 18 I am gay, I knew it at the time. I also was asked if I was gay before I signed on, and it was made perfectly clear to me that being gay in the Military were simply not allowed and anyone found later would suffer severe consequences (Thrown out, Jail time, dishonourable discharge). During the first week at Basic Training, during one of the induction briefings (Held in the station cinema) with a couple of hundred recruits in attendance, one of the SNCO in charge came on stage and said "If any of you is a f***ing poof, get up and leave now, your enlistment will be cancelled , nothing on your record. This is the last chance, and to be clear, I dont want any f***ing poof in my Air Force".

I stayed and did not declare I was gay! I was bloody good at my job, and after 10 years or so, having served perfectly well in various locations (UK, Falklands, Cyprus) . I was promoted to JNCO level and was on the board for consideration as a SNCO

About this time I was "investigated" for homosexuality. I was pulled from my shift by RAF Police, shoved in an interrogation room, and basically given the third degree . My locker at work was searched, in full view of everyone, my room in the accom block was literally pulled apart

Being a JNCO I had younger airman under my command, 17 yr olds and up. They were all interviewed and basically "encouraged" to out me- my colleagues, friends and just about everyone else was interviewed by the RAF equivalent of CID. Thing Regan on a bad day from " The Sweeny"

The RAF Police couldn't find any "evidence" , no one outted me-mainly because I had never done anything with anyone. After a couple of weeks I was told no charges were being brought against me. I then had to go back to work as normal -not fun when the entire station knows what had just occured.

I then decided that enough was enough and I had to leave before I was found out. I had to work 18 months notice before I could leave. Less than a month before I left, one of my friends told me that a particularly nasty RAF Policeman had interviewed him saying "I want to get that gay bastard before he leaves"

Had I been charged it would have meant Court Martial , SIX months in military prison, dishonourable discharge, loss of 12 years pension

I was a lucky one, I managed to leave before being found out. I lost a career I loved and , was very good at, a way of life, friends and gave over a decade of Service

However, I KNEW before I signed up that i was not allowed, it was made very clear to me at the time and all the way through my time in the RAF.

Should I be entitled to compensation ? I wasn't thrown out, I left on my own accord, so I doubt I am included in the scheme anyway-though I will look into it. In my mind part of me says I knew what I was getting into, therefore I shouldnt be entitled to compensation. Anyone else who was gay also knew what they were signing up for. Another part of me thinks , especially for those servicemen and women who were jailed, , lost pensions , have criminal records(-the BBC news has a report on one guy was regestered as a sex offender for decades as he had kissed another guy) ,f*** em- get every penny you can. We served our Country, put our lives on the line and were treated as criminals, deviants, and third class citizens

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bazbha said:

How many "I signed off because I was gay but didn't tell anyone that was why" could we get?

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