LGBTQ+ veterans who suffered under a ‘gay ban’ in the armed forces until 2000 have today (18th February 2026) threatened to take the Ministry of Defence to court if they continue to refuse financial reparations to those impacted by the policy.
Fighting With Pride understands that forty ex-Army, Royal Navy and RAF men and women have been rejected from a government financial recognition scheme (FRS), and today a letter before action has been issued by lawyers acting for two of them, highlighting their refused payments under the scheme. This is the first step towards legally challenging the process in the High Court.
The ex-service personnel are supported by LGBTQ+ armed forces charity, Fighting with Pride who has led the campaign for justice and law firm, Irwin Mitchell is representing veterans in the threatened legal case.
A financial scheme opened in December 2024 to right the wrongs of the policy which saw men and women interrogated, abused and dismissed simply for being themselves. The veterans lost careers, pensions and suffered mental and physical ill-health. Last October, His Majesty the King dedicated a memorial to honour the service of past and present LGBTQ+ personnel at the National Memorial Arboretum. In July 2023, the then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologised to the nation for ‘an appalling failure of the British State’.
Steve Stewart and Mark Shephard are the two veterans named in the threatened legal action. Steve Stewart is from the South West and served for seven years in the British Army as a Corporal in the Royal Military Police before leaving the army after arrest under the gay ban in 1995. Mark Shephard served in the RAF from 1995 to 2001 as a fitter, helping to maintain and service aircraft. He left after being forced into ‘voluntary redundancy’ following an interrogation into his sexuality.
Ed Hall, Chairman of Fighting with Pride,
‘It’s deeply disappointing to get so far along the road to righting the wrongs of history, only for a minority of brave men and women who’ve served our country to face this rejection from a scheme intended to right the wrongs they faced. Hundreds of people affected by the ban have had a positive experience of the scheme, but sadly not everyone.
‘Many of our veterans were punished simply for being who they are, and for loving the people they did. This scheme is an opportunity for the government to put itself on the right side of history, and we urge the government to listen and address the manifest injustice these former service people are facing. It’s absolutely clear to us that Steve and Mark were forced out of the forces because of the illegal gay ban, They are exactly the kind of people who faced the circumstances this scheme was designed to cover.
‘It is sad that some cases of self-evident unfairness in the financial reparations process have emerged. The LGBTQ+ Armed Forces Charity, Fighting with Pride will continue to support all veterans impacted by the ban. We earnestly hope that the government will take the opportunity to look at the scheme and work with us to do the right thing for these cases facing injustice before it’s too late.‘
