Advertisement

A married army general in Britain is planning to come out as gay

He believes gays and lesbians in the military still face discrimination.

By Thor Benson
REX2003032401 - THE MIDDLE EAST, MARCH 2003 (UPI) -- Soldiers of the British 16 Air Assault Brigade deploy through thick dust from a Chinook helicopter in March 2003, in an undisclosed location in the Middle East. rlw/REX FEATURES UPI.
REX2003032401 - THE MIDDLE EAST, MARCH 2003 (UPI) -- Soldiers of the British 16 Air Assault Brigade deploy through thick dust from a Chinook helicopter in March 2003, in an undisclosed location in the Middle East. rlw/REX FEATURES UPI. | License Photo

LONDON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A British army general is planning to become the highest ranking military member in his country to come out as gay.

He was inspired to do so after one of his colleagues made a comment that coming out would be "career suicide."

Advertisement

"I never considered outing myself until another very senior officer said he believed that admission of homosexuality by a senior officer would be career suicide," he told the Daily Mail.

He said he almost told the officer he was gay, but he decided not to. Now, after a few weeks, he's decided it's important that he does it. He rejects the idea gays and lesbians in the British military don't face discrimination.

The general says he served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He is married and has children.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense responded by saying: "The Army has worked tirelessly over the last 15 years to become more inclusive and is very proud to be recognised by Stonewall as a top 50 lesbian, gay and bisexual employer."

Latest Headlines