Gay veteran allegedly denied LGBT Dismissal Payment after being pressured to leave the British Armed Forces
Pitchford said he was eventually told to pay £250 to end his contract and leave the army, meaning it was not recorded as a formal dismissal
By Aaron Sugg
British Army veteran Michael Pitchford claims he was denied Ministry of Defence compensation after being pressured into an early dismissal for being gay.
The 78-year-old from Rottingdean, Brighton and Hove, says he was humiliated, interrogated and threatened with prison for being gay during his military service.
According to BBC Sussex, he claimed he was pressured into paying £250 to end his army contract early and, as a result, does not qualify for a Dismissed and Discharged Payment of £50,000.
Who does the LGBT Dismissed or Discharged Payment apply to?
The LGBT Dismissed or Discharged Payment was introduced in 2024 to compensate service members who were forced out of the armed forces between 27 July 1967 and 11 January 2000.
As per the official government website, the compensation applies to: “Those who were dismissed or administratively discharged, including officers who were ordered or instructed to resign or retire by their respective Service Board, solely on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity during the Ban.”
Pitchford served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and began his service as a closeted gay man. In 1971, at the age of 23, he began having same-sex relationships while keeping his sexuality hidden from authorities.
“They were monsters… their questions were horrendous” – Michael Pitchford on his time in the British Army
He told the outlet that living a double life was a “turmoil” and said he “couldn’t do it” when faced with completing another three years of service.
“They were monsters…their questions were horrendous,” said Pitchford about the forces, revealing they disclosed his sexuality to family and friends by dubbing him a male prostitute.
“I lost all my family because of that. And as years went on I buried it deep inside, but the wound never heals,” he said. He was threatened with three years in prison unless he revealed the names of men he had relationships with.
Why is Pitchford not considered eligible for the LGBT Dismissed or Discharged Payment
He claimed he was later denied the LGBT Dismissed or Discharged Payment because he was not officially “dismissed or discharged”, despite feeling he had been pressured to leave.
Pitchford, who is now living with two brain tumours, heart disease and prostate cancer, is appealing the decision to reject his claim.
A spokesperson for the MoD provided comment to Attitude. Whilst they do not speak on individual cases, they said: “We deeply regret the treatment of LGBT serving personnel between 1967 and 2000 which was wholly unacceptable and this is not representative of Defence today.”
“We are committed to righting these wrongs” – the Ministry of Defence responding to Pitchford’s claims
“We are committed to righting these wrongs through tangible actions, including through the LGBT Financial and non-Financial Restorative Measures for those affected,” they added.
“Whilst Defence acknowledges the hurt caused to veterans who felt compelled to resign, the Dismissed and Discharged Payment was designed to recognise those who were dishonourably removed from service. However, Defence recognises that LGBT veterans, including those who felt pressured to resign, suffered unacceptable experiences and therefore the scheme was expanded to include an additional Impact Payment, which we encourage those veterans to apply for.”
More information about the Impact Payment is available on the UK government website.