Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP: Speech at the 2026 LGBTQ+ Defence Awards.

Tonight we stand on the shoulders of giants.

In defiance of those who do not accept who we are, or who we love, or how we present ourselves to the world.

In defence of the values of freedom, equality, and democracy – the things that make this country great.

In celebration of our LGBTQ+ community in all of its diversity – and particularly this evening those of you whose stars have shone most brightly and whom we all look to as role models.

We are able be here this evening because of Jeanette Smith and Graeme Grady, and Duncan Lustig-Prean and John Beckett.

Jeanette and Graeme, dismissed from the Royal Air Force in 1994 after being outed as lesbian and gay.

Duncan and John discharged from the Royal Navy in 1995 and 1993 respectively for the same reason.

All of them removed in accordance with the policy of the department I now lead, the Ministry of Defence – a policy that was deemed unlawful thanks to the cases brought to the European Court of Human Rights by Jeanette, Graeme, Duncan and John.

They did not fail their country. Their country failed them.

Their courage in bringing those cases changed laws, hearts and minds.

And because of them, there are now more than 2,500 openly LGBTQ+ people serving in our Armed Forces today.

We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude for not only making our Armed Forces more equal but also making them stronger.

But I don’t want to sanitise our history, or the harm that it caused, because it teaches us something about how we meet the challenges we face today.

Take Dawn, who was outed while serving at sea in 1994.

When she was just 20 years old – roughly about the same age I was when I came out – someone – anonymously, obviously – reported her as a lesbian.

Had her personal belongings and letters taken.

And told to leave the Royal Navy that she loved and had served with distinction for three years. 

Dawn has since received restorative measures, including recognition of her service, a beret, an apology and the Etherton Ribbon.