A former member of the British Navy who was sacked due to his sexuality worries he will not live long enough to receive compensation from the UK government. The ban on LGBTQ+ individuals serving in the military affected Joe Ousalice, who claims he now struggles with cancer and has not received money from the government. Although a review carried out in 2020 proposed 49 ways the government could compensate those affected by the ban, no details have been released about how much compensation individuals will receive.
Mr. Ousalice says his identity was discovered after he informed a chaplain that he was bisexual, leading to nine investigations. He was eventually dismissed after a court martial determined his sexuality was “prejudicial to good order and naval discipline.” If Mr. Ousalice had completed his 22-year service, he would have received more than £500 of pension payments each month. However, his dismissal meant he could not claim his pension until he reached the retirement age, causing him financial difficulty.
Many of those affected by the ban are now suffering from aging and medical issues, similar to Mr. Ousalice, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer 18 months ago, which spread to his chest and brain. The 73-year-old stated that the £50 million guaranteed by the UK government as compensation for those affected is inadequate. Mr. Ousalice worked with others in his situation with the campaign group Rank Outsiders after his dismissal.
The Fighting with Pride campaign group’s Executive Chairman, Craig Jones, has urged the government to offer compensation quickly to veterans like Mr. Ousalice dogged by worries about cancer, age, and poverty. The government spokesperson stated they would release more information regarding compensation for LGBT veterans “as soon as they can” and encouraged them to reach out via the government’s support pages for relief measures
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