British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologised on Wednesday to LGBT military veterans who endured sexual abuse, violence, bullying and harassment while serving in the armed forces before a ban on homosexuality was lifted in 2000.
Britain lifted the ban only after the European Court of Human Rights rejected an argument that it was needed to protect morale and fighting power amongst its troops, saying the policy had violated human rights.
An independent review was launched last year to examine the testimonies of LGBT veterans who served between 1967 and 2000 to recognise the impact of the policies. The review was published on Wednesday.Sunak told a full House of Commons chamber on Wednesday that the ban had been an"appalling failure of the British state".
British Defence Minister Ben Wallace said the review had shone a light on"a shameful and unacceptable historical chapter in our Armed Forces history."
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