A man from Salford who was forced to leave the Royal Air Force because of his sexuality has received an apology.
Stewart Russell is one of thousands of service personnel found to be subjected to intrusive investigations, harassment, dismissal, and the loss of careers, pensions, and honours due to their LGBT sexual orientation between 1967 and 2000.
Stewart attended a presentation at Parliament and received a special Etherton Veterans Ribbon, which was introduced by the late Lord Etherton for those impacted by the ban on openly gay personnel until 2000.
Lord Etherton led the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans Affairs and published in July 2023, which recommended that the veterans discriminated against should receive an “appropriate financial award.”
It concluded that their treatment was “wholly unacceptable” and recommended a programme of restorative measures, including financial recognition, formal apologies, and the restoration of medals and records where appropriate.
The presentation in Parliament formed part of the Government’s LGBT Restorative Action measures, which seek to acknowledge and address the injustice faced by military personnel.
Attended by representatives from the Royal Air Force and invited guests, it provided an opportunity to formally recognise Stewart’s service and to reflect on the impact of past policies and served as a formal acknowledgement of the discrimination he faced by the government.
Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey was in attendance at the event to present Stewart with the Etherton Veterans Ribbon.
Speaking after the event, she said: “It was a real honour and privilege to welcome Stewart to Parliament and to present him with his LGBT Restorative Action recognition.
“For far too long, LGBT personnel were treated unjustly and excluded from serving openly in our Armed Forces. What happened to Stewart and so many others was wrong, and it should never have happened.
“This ceremony was a small but important step in recognising that injustice and offering a long-overdue apology. I was proud to stand alongside Stewart, RAF representatives, and others as we marked that moment together.”
She added: “Stewart’s courage, dignity, and service deserve to be recognised and celebrated. It meant a great deal to be part of this with him.”
