In 1994, I was the last person sent to prison in the UK for being gay – and I’m still being punished today | Life and style

14 comments

1. And this is why I can’t stan cis straight people who say “yeah but being gay is 100% fine these days”. No it’s not. You still get discrimination.
   It’s just as bad for trans people now as it was 20 yrs ago for being gay

2. Where are the folks who were so agitated last Rememberence Sunday at the way servicemen were treated and why aren’t they outraged over this?

3. Honestly surprised (or maybe I shouldn’t be, with the attitudes of people) that along with the legalisation of gay marriage we didn’t also get any automatic pardons for any “offences” like his, wiping of criminal records etc. Hope he gets the compensation.

4. Christ, that’s within my lifetime. This poor guy, who has chronic pain caused by an injury from his service, was bullied into confessing something which should never have been a crime.

   It’s sick and wrong. The MoD absolutely should compensate him for the financial losses of his dismissal, and his conviction should be quashed. 

5. Sometimes it’s baffling to think gay people were being arrested not long before I was born. You’d think it would have stopped before the 90’s but this is a reminder that it wasn’t so long ago at all. Crazy.

6. >Three decades later, he is still dealing with the fallout.

   >What galls him is the fact that no one has been punished for the way he and other LGBTQ+ servicepeople were treated. Every day, he says, “I’m still being punished.”

   It’s one thing for the country to have a shameful past in how gay people were treated in the military, especially as recently as the 90s.

   It’s absolutely disgusting that he is still having any issues from this. The only fallout he should be dealing with is an apology and compensation for his time in prison.

7. Such a sad story. I had no idea things were so bad in the 90s.

8. Yet another example of the British military being the complete opposite of the heros that they love to be present as.

9. Important to remember how recently this is and consider the parallels either the treatment of trans people with the treatment of gay people. We are making all the same mistakes

10. Why were you sent to prison being gay has been legal since the mid/late 60’s.
    I know alot of people still had a problem with days but I am really surprised by this.

11. Being called names, being assaulted & and looking down on & being avoided just cause I am gay

12. I’m surprised this happened homosexuality has been legal in the uk since 1967!

13. Read the article from beginning to end. Excellent account of his lived experience. Hope he gets justice but I doubt it given the recent post office, blood products, Hillsborough scandals – the state will drags its feet and even when it seems to be coming around – drag it’s feet some more.

    What I will say is that I would prefer to see more LGBT history stories like this – versus the usual cliche about gay bars, drag acts and scantly clad 20 somethings living a fabulous life.

    Stories like this about careers, about families and finding some true meaning – barely get a look in during pride season which is just obsessed with the beautiful 20 somethings.

14. It’s interesting that this link is directly below the one about the Muslim teacher. It’s filled with people talking about ‘British values’ of tolerance compared to the inherent intolerance of Islam acting like the UK has always been some open and tolerant place.

    Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to make a cultural relativist argument here, and I absolutely favour liberal values over others, but just interesting the way people speaking about British values as if they are, and always have been, instrinsic to us a nation.