King Charles is set to mark a historic moment for the UK’s LGBTQ+ community by attending the unveiling of the country’s first memorial dedicated to LGBTQ+ members of the armed forces.
On Monday, 27 October, the monarch will visit the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to lay flowers at the new monument. Following the dedication ceremony, he will meet with LGBTQ+ veterans, including those who endured discrimination under the British military’s former ban on homosexuality.
The memorial was made possible by a £350,000 government grant awarded last year to the charity Fighting With Pride, which advocates for LGBTQ+ veterans. The group played a key role in campaigning for justice for those impacted by the pre-2000 ban on openly LGBTQ+ individuals serving in the army, navy, or air force.
Prior to the policy change in 2000, service members suspected of being gay or transgender were often subjected to harsh interrogations, dishonourable discharges, and loss of pensions or benefits. Many veterans faced court-martials and life-altering stigma.
A spokesperson for Fighting With Pride called the sculpture “a powerful step forward in recognising and honouring the service and sacrifices” of LGBTQ+ personnel. According to the charity’s website, the memorial will serve as “a place of reflection, recognition and remembrance, ensuring that the stories of those who served, and those who suffered, are never forgotten.”
The memorial features crumpled bronze lettering formed from words taken directly from testimony by those affected by the ban.
Sharon Pickering, a Royal Navy veteran who was discharged in 1991, described the monument as “hugely emotional.”
Gwen Pettigrew, a former member of the Royal Corps of Signals, said: “It’s something I never thought would happen—a memorial to veterans who were LGBT, who were discharged under a heinous rule, in quite an inhumane manner.”
She added that the tribute celebrates queer personnel “from time immemorial and for future LGBT people who will be serving in the forces.”
In 2023, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak formally apologised to LGBTQ+ veterans, calling the historic ban “an appalling failure of the British state” and pledging compensation. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace and senior military leaders have also issued apologies.
Despite King Charles’ participation in the ceremony, some critics remain sceptical of his support for LGBTQ+ rights. Veteran activist Peter Tatchell previously told PinkNews: “He’s never been our friend or ally… He consorts with religious leaders who oppose our human rights. He’s a traditionalist with markedly conservative views.”
Last year, both King Charles and Prime Minister Keir Starmer were criticised by an LGBTQ+ organisation for hosting a state visit from the emir of Qatar, a country known for its harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Nonetheless, the memorial’s unveiling is being seen as a major symbolic milestone for recognition, justice, and remembrance for the UK’s LGBTQ+ military community.
