UK Defence Forces top the charts for LGBT empowerment

Giving us another reason to be proud, the UK Defence Forces have upped their ranks on the top 100 LGBT employers’ list. Stonewall, a charity based in the UK, has lauded the commitment shown by the forces to keep their equality game strong. According to the media, Darren Towers, Stonewall’s executive director, said: “Stonewall was set up 30 years ago to fight against the introduction of Section 28 – a vicious piece of legislation that banned local authorities from ‘promoting homosexuality’. LGBT-inclusive employers play a crucial role in changing society by using their power and influence to proudly support LGBT+ people in their organisations.” All sections of our forces have shown significant improvement on the list. The Royal Navy and the Royal Marines have jumped up from the 32^nd position to the 15^th. The Army has similarly made a leap from the 84^th position to the 51^st. The Royal Air Force has also made it back on the list for the first time since 2015. The ranks show a significant improvement, but more so point to the efforts being made to ensure inclusiveness and equality. Organisations on the list are judged based on their efforts to promote equality for all kinds of employees, irrespective of how they identify in terms of their sexuality. So, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and more, can feel comfortable if they want to become a part of one of the world’s most powerful defence forces. Here’s hoping that our forces keep the momentum going and continue to make us proud.