The military police records of service members who were discharged for being homosexual have been deleted.
Veterans who requested papers about investigations and interrogations by the military police were informed in 2010 that the files had been erased.
The Ministry of Defense stated that it was required by law to remove the information from service records.
However, one veterans’ organization stated, “This may feel like a cover-up too many.”
Only when two veterans claim they were unable to get records of military examinations into their sexuality did the Ministry of Defense admit that the material had been deleted.
Without the information, it may be difficult for its members to collect lost pensions or compensation from the government, according to the advocacy group Fighting with Pride.
Before the year 2000, homosexuals were prohibited from serving in the military. An impartial study is now examining how the Armed Forces treated LGBT+ community members.
Full of guilt
Jean Macdonald served in the Women’s Royal Army Corps as a lance corporal. But she was discharged in 1981 for being homosexual.
She explained, “All of a sudden, you lose your entire career, your relationships, your housing, your entire way of life – it’s simply humiliating.
She was diagnosed with complicated PTSD after years of poor mental health. In addition, she sought her complete military records from the MoD in May of this year.
She received an email earlier this month stating that all records of the inquiry into her by the Royal Military Police were deleted in 2010. The email stated that it was a directive from the “Defense Police Chiefs’ Council.”
It continued, “All investigations into primarily sexual offenses were to be removed from our systems and expunged from the personnel files of those impacted.”
A review of the database of the service police revealed only one document that described the reasons for her discharge. It reads, “Conducting oneself in a disgraceful manner is an unnatural conduct.”
Ms. Macdonald reported feeling “invisible” as a result. “We have a bit of a secret past.”
Tremaine Cornish, age 66, served as a private in the Royal Army Catering Corps and also graduated from the All Arms Commando school. He joined at age 15 and was discharged in 1977 after being accused of homosexuality.
It makes me angry
He stated that the Army “robbed me of my life, my future, and my sense of self-worth.”
When he requested his complete service records this year, he was informed that documents related to the police inquiry had been “properly and safely disposed of.”
It was done “in conformity with policy and data protection principles,” he was told.
However, Mr. Cornish stated that it strengthened “the institutional homophobia we faced” “This makes me mad – furious at the state, furious at the institution, and furious at the forces we volunteered for.”
In January of this year, the government declared it will conduct an independent evaluation of the impact of the military prohibition on LGBT+ individuals.
Lord Etherton, who is conducting the review, has been collecting information and is likely to examine potential compensation methods.
The past stance outlawing homosexuality in the Armed Forces was repugnant, according to an MoD official.
The spokesperson continued, “We regret terribly that LGBT+ persons serving in the military were subjected to injustice as a result.” Now, our first objective is to comprehend the entire repercussions of the historic ban and to find acceptable solutions to the wrongs of the past.
“At the time, it was policy to erase references to these previous offenses and investigations from service records. It was required by law that these records be removed from individuals’ service records.”
Between 1967 and 2000, Fighting with Pride estimates that between 5,000 and 15,000 men and women were harmed by the policy.
The organization’s Craig Jones is now requesting an immediate meeting with the defense secretary.
Mr. Jones told, “You can imagine what this looks like to people who will have enormous difficulty believing the Ministry of Defense and the government.” He stated that the Department of Defense must clarify what it has done and why.
