What have been the key challenges you faced when advocating for the support of LGBTQ+ Armed Forces personnel and their families?
Craig: We founded the charity on the 20th anniversary of the lifting of the gay ban in January 2020 amid the pandemic. However, we managed to have a lot of online meetings in a very short time, which helped us get our message out quickly. Funding has also been always challenging, as we need to build confidence around our brand and enhance our visibility.
In the beginning, we needed people to know our equality agenda for LGBTQ+ veterans and their families. We work for the rights of mistreated people who served in conflicts in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan, so making those messages visible was our greatest challenge, as well as winning people's confidence and support. Whenever we talk about veterans, we do our best to make sure that their voices are heard, and we've worked hard over the last four years to ensure we pushed them to the front.
You and Fighting with Pride have recently been highlighted for Big Issue's Changemakers. What do you think your biggest achievement has been so far?
Craig: In September 2021, we undertook a fundraising campaign with Covenant Trust, which proved highly successful, reaching over £350,000. With these funds, we were able to assemble a dedicated team of seven community workers based in the UK.
Another significant development for us has been gaining insights into the intricacies of politics. We learned to navigate the complexities of Whitehall, resulting in tangible victories for our veterans. Just before Christmas, through discussions with representatives from the Conservative backbench, the Shadow Team, the Scottish National Party, and the Democratic Unionist Party, we successfully ensured that a promised debate concerning the future of veterans was upheld. For a small organisation with limited political experience, this was a significant triumph.
However, our success stemmed from the overwhelming response of over 400 veterans who heeded our call to action by sending letters to their Members of Parliament (MPs). This widespread engagement prompted MPs across the UK to support our cause, ultimately cementing the importance of trust within our community.
As the creative editor of 'Fighting with Pride: LGBTQ in the Armed Forces,', what were the main insights you gained from working on the book?
Craig: Reflecting on my past, I recalled how my own job was safeguarded by the courage of individuals who challenged the UK's discriminatory policies in the European Court of Human Rights in 1999. However, it became evident that little had been done to address the plight of these individuals who endured profound hardships due to the ban. They have been silenced. So, I assembled a group of people who shared their compelling stories in the book, and I was deeply moved by the profound impact of the ban on their lives, fuelling a sense of indignation within me.
I am angry by the apparent oversight of our veteran community and the lack of concerted efforts to support survivors of the ban. However, 'Fighting with Pride' has served as a catalyst for change, facilitating the integration of lived experiences into existing organisations and fostering a sense of unity within the military family. As I reflect on the journey initiated by the publication, I’m filled with optimism for the future.
As the creative editor of the book 'Fighting with Pride: LGBTQ in the Armed Forces’ published in 2020, what message did you aim to convey?
Craig: LGBTQ+ veterans, first and foremost, are veterans. They have served with honour in operations worldwide. When talking to senior people and community groups, these people are branded disgraceful and dismissed in disgrace. However, they are heroes, and that has been my key message, as they have protected the peace and freedoms we value in the UK, which they were denied.
When the ban on LGBT individuals serving in the British Armed Forces was lifted in 2000, you decided to come out. How did this decision affect your job and personal life back then?
Craig: Apart from military operations in Northern Ireland, the Gulf, and other places, it was the most challenging thing I've ever done. I came out mainly through a sense of duty because not being honest goes against what we share as members of the armed forces, where people are very open.
I've been with my husband for nearly 30 years, and he was around all those years, but we could not be in contact. So, I felt a wish to be open and honest, but I came out into a truly toxic environment on the day the ban was lifted. After my commanding officer at that time found out about me, he said that he was disappointed that ‘the mandarins in Whitehall had let him down and would force him to serve with these people’. It is pretty difficult to be homophobic and racist in one sentence, but he cracked it.
It's difficult for us to look back and think that these things happened. But in my mind, I was mentally prepared for it, and I would never be ashamed again. Can you imagine those sorts of conversations today? It's mad. It was an interesting time, and that iceberg didn't thaw quickly. It took five years before the beginning of attitude change in our armed forces.
What do you think are the current challenges of LGBTQ+ personnel in the Armed Forces post-gay ban?
Craig: I'd say that I'm very proud of our modern armed forces. They are the most LGBTQ+ inclusive in the world and the progress that they've made has been truly outstanding. There's also a business case here: their talent makes our armed forces more effective operationally. If people can't understand the point of social inclusion, they must know why we need to have the most effective armed forces in the world. No workplace in the UK is perfect for LGBTQ+ people. For example, lots of LGBTQ+ couples can't make overseas appointments to some countries.
Do you think that LGBTQ+ veterans are still dealing with some consequences in terms of personal well-being and societal recognition?
Craig: I think that there's another long journey. Whilst our charity has won the trust of most of the veteran community. The Office for Veterans Affairs, the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Defence, and the Veterans' Charities have a longer journey. In the past, they said that LGBTQ+ veterans should not receive veterans’ services because of what they had been thought to have done. For many, it was simply for being themselves.
I'm currently leading difficult discussions about money and the fact we must compensate these people. All we can do is support them for some degree of comfort and security later in life. At the moment, the suggestion that £5000 or £10,000 will be a remedy will never be acceptable to Fighting with Pride and the veterans.
You campaigned for an Independent Review to examine the effect that the pre-2000 ban has had on LGBT veterans, the outcome of which is scheduled to be debated in Parliament in 2024. What would you like to see come from this debate?
Craig: In 2021, I gave evidence to the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill with my colleague Caroline Page, and that was the catalyst of the Review. When the debate came, it was nearly lost just before Christmas as the government were keen to provide a summary statement. We felt strongly that discussion needed to take place on the floor of Parliament, because that's what the Secretary of State at the time, Ben Wallace, promised.
When the debate ensues, we seek constituency MPs to relay the stories of their constituents. It is imperative that Parliament comprehends the profound impact and suffering endured by these individuals, recognising the injustice inflicted upon them despite their service in safeguarding our nation's peace. They must be acknowledged not only as heroes who served the UK but also as victims of egregious mistreatment. So, our campaign rests upon two fundamental pillars: the imperative recognition of these individuals and the provision of adequate support to enhance their quality of life.
How can society and the government work to ensure equality for LGBTQ communities?
Craig: The last few years in terms of LGBTQ+ communities have not been great. There are times when I wonder if we're going backwards. I'm particularly concerned about the treatment of trans people in our society because they are uniquely vulnerable and not adequately protected by the government. As LGBTQ+ community, we must stick together and speak with one voice. One of the successes of ‘Fighting with Pride’ is that we have worked hard to build consensus everywhere, whether in veterans’ organisations, our community, or Whitehall. I think that that's what we need to do as a queer community.