Forced out of Australia’s military due to his sexuality, David says an apology is ‘long overdue’ for veterans like him
Summary
Australia is considering a national apology to LGBTQ+ military veterans who faced discrimination and were forced out of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) because of their sexuality. The government is reviewing recommendations to recognize and address the harms caused by past policies that banned homosexual members from serving.Key Facts
- David Gibson was discharged from the ADF in 1989 because he was bisexual.
- At the time, the ADF prohibited homosexual people from serving and conducted investigations to find gay or bisexual members.
- Gibson described harsh interrogations and being isolated before his discharge.
- Homosexuality was criminalized in Australia then, but the military often handled cases administratively to avoid bad publicity.
- A Senate committee is reviewing a bill to improve mental health care and fairness in military discipline.
- The bill would also allow the removal of historical service offences related to sexuality.
- The committee recommends going beyond the bill and giving formal recognition and restorative outcomes to LGBTQ+ veterans harmed by past discrimination.
- Suggested measures include marking military records to show discrimination was the cause of past punishments.
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