b'FIGHTING WITH PRIDE IMPACT REPORT 2021personnel serving in the Armed Forces prior to January 2000.support, especially from the RNRMC.The charity was established in 2021 and the charities firstThe RNRMC stepped forward in support of Fighting with After harrowing investigations these men and women wereJoint Chief Executives are Caroline Paige, a former FlightPride at the beginning of our journey, recognising that our new led away to military hospitals where they were subjectedLieutenant in the RAF and the first openly serving transgendercharity is reconnecting some of our most isolated and lonely to degrading, and shameful medical inspections. At Courtofficer in the British Armed Forces, and Craig Jones, a formerveterans to the wider armed forces family,Martial, in the moments before those convicted were sentRoyal Navy Lieutenant Commander, who came out as gay on down, operational medals and good conduct badges werethe day of the lifting of the gay ban, while still serving. Our work with hundreds of veterans organisaitons is helping ripped from their uniforms. They served typically 6 months inAs I walked through the gates at Dartmouth, I knew that I wasLGBT+ veterans to feel welcome and replacing feelings of prison for the military criminal offence of being homosexualgay, said Craig on the Lockdown podcast. Craigs was oneshame with Pride. With RNRMCs support, FWP is enabling the and were Dismissed in Disgrace with criminal records asof a series of podcast interviews broadcast over LockdownArmed Forces family to become more diverse and welcoming sex offenders which from 1967 had no civilian equivalent.featuring people who serve, or who have served in the Armedevery day, said CraigLGBT+ Veterans were commonly given letters instructingForces and representatives from organisations who supportThe RNRMC grant will contribute towards funding a LGBT+ them never to use their military ranks again or wear items ofthem. The series was funded by the RNRMC and put togetherVeterans Outreach Support Worker for England and Wales. uniform for example in remembrance at the Cenotaph.Theyby its long-standing partner, Company of Makers. The Support Worker would act as a friend to LGBT+ veterans continue to obey those letters. Their names were erasedBut as I walked through those gates and embarked upon myand begin the challenging process of welcoming them back from the retired list of the Royal Navy as though they hadexciting naval journey, I knew that I would need to hide my trueinto the military family. This will help re-connect Royal Navy never existed.These once proud members of our Armedself or lose everything.veterans with their military identities, allowing them to feel Forces were cast out of the Armed Forces family and outedrecognised for their service and take their rightful place to their own family and friends. They lost their homes andAfter accepting his sexuality and eventually coming out whenamong other veterans at events, such as remembrance their financial stability.Their service record cards had thehe could, Craig led challenging work to restore the Armedservices. By re-engaging LGBT+ Royal Navy veterans with their top corner clipped and were marked in red pen with theForces Covenant for the serving LGBT+ community. However,service, the Outreach Support Worker can also open a world annotation dismissed in disgrace causing many a lifetimeCraig realised that while there had been incredible changeof support services to veterans who may have issues around of employment issues. for serving personnel in the armed forces, nothing had beenhealth, housing, wellbeing, financial circumstancesFighting With Pride supports the health and wellbeingdone to support the LGBT+ veterans who lost so much afteror employment. of LGBT+Veterans, service personnel and their families,being Dismissed in Disgrace and on the 20th anniversary ofMandy Lindley, Director of Relationships and Funding at in particular those most impacted by the ban on LGBT+the lifting of the ban, he brought together 10 people membersRNRMC said: of the Armed Forces LGBT+ community, both veterans and serving personnel, to tell their stories. The Charity FightingSeeking justice and support for veterans who were treated so with Pride was launched on the day of publication and aims toappallingly is absolutely crucial and we are proud to work with FIGHTING HISTORIC INJUSTICE FORsupport those most affected by the ban. Fighting With Pride to achieve this. The RNRMC was one of As we reached publication, we realised that we were angry,the first organisations to get involved with Fighting With Pride THE NAVAL COMMUNITY that despite transformative change in our Armed Forces,and we are very pleased to see that we have paved the way nothing had been done to support those most affected by thefor others subsequently. We hope that by working together, ban. Fighting with Pride was created to support our LGBT+we can help those who suffered so unfairly feel proud of their In 2021 the RNRMC launched a partnership with Fighting With Pride, providing a 40,000 grant to combatveterans and to enable change in all organisations that wishservice to the nation and can be encouraged to take up the historic injustices and to ensure that the Royal Navy community is welcoming for all. to support them. said Craig. support available for all our beneficiaries. We want to ensure that sexuality is not a barrier to being part of the Royal Navy Fighting With Pride prepared itself for years of petitioning butveteran community. Between the mid 1950s and 1996 members of the UK Armed Forces who were thought to be LGBT+ werewere delighted and surprised to find that they had immediate arrested, searched and questioned, often without legal counsel or support. On many occasions arrest was based upon little or no evidence, losing careers and in some cases homes and families. It has also emerged that a significant number of heterosexual personnel were falsely accused by service police officers.If you would like to find out more about Fighting Scan here with your Smart Phone to hear the Company of Makers Lockdown podcastWith Pride or would like to access their support, Craig Jones MBE, Joint Chief Executive, Fighting with Pride. featuring Craig Jones. please visit www.fightingwithpride.org.uk or email info@fightingwithpride.org.uk42 43'