Fighting With Pride
Wakefield Armed Forces Covenant Officer has requested all military associations to share the following information:
Hello,
Help us find the veterans who are still owed justice, #BattleForLostVeterans2026
Fighting With Pride is the UK’s LGBTQ+ Armed Forces charity. We support, connect and advocate for LGBTQ+ veterans, serving personnel and their families, with a particular focus on those affected by the ban on LGBTQ+ people serving openly in the Armed Forces before 2000.
For decades, thousands of dedicated personnel were dismissed, discharged, forced to resign or compelled to conceal their identity. Many lost careers, income, pensions, homes and their connection to the Armed Forces community. The effects of this treatment continue to be felt today.
Fighting With Pride has led the campaign to secure recognition and justice for those affected. Our work helped bring about the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, the Government’s formal apology, the acceptance of the Review’s 49 recommendations, non-financial restorative measures and a £75 million financial recognition fund. We also delivered the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.
The Battle for Lost Veterans
On 20 June 2026, at the Community Dedication Event for the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial, Fighting With Pride launched its Battle for Lost Veterans campaign.
In the first 30 days following the launch, 50 new veterans came forward to seek the reparations owed to them. However, we estimate that around 1,000 eligible veterans have still not applied.
Veterans and serving personnel affected by the ban must apply no later than 12 December 2026. Those eligible could receive up to £70,000 in financial reparations.
For some veterans, revisiting what happened to them can be extremely difficult. Others may not identify as LGBTQ+ today, may not consider themselves part of the veteran community or may simply be unaware that the scheme applies to them. Trusted local organisations and community networks therefore have a vital role to play in reaching them.
How you can help
As your local authority’s Armed Forces Champion, you are uniquely placed to help this information reach veterans, families and communities in your area. We would be grateful if you could:
Share the Fighting With Pride reparations webpage through your council, Armed Forces Covenant and community networks.
Ask local veterans’ organisations, hubs, charities, support services and community groups to circulate the campaign.
Download and distribute our campaign materials. One resource is written for LGBTQ+ veterans, while another is designed for people who may know an eligible veteran or remember someone they served alongside.
Include the campaign in council, Armed Forces Covenant and community newsletters.
Share the campaign through your local authority’s social media channels, using #BattleForLostVeterans2026.
Encourage anyone who may be eligible to contact Fighting With Pride for confidential guidance and support with their application.
All campaign information and downloadable materials are available on the Fighting With Pride reparations webpage.
If you would like printed leaflets to distribute through your local networks, please email info@fightingwithpride.org.uk, stating the quantity required and the full postal address for delivery.
Could your local authority join the Pride in Veterans Standard?
We would also welcome the opportunity to work more closely with your local authority through our Pride in Veterans Standard, known as PiVS.
Developed by Fighting With Pride, PiVS is open to organisations that want to demonstrate their commitment to providing inclusive and welcoming services for LGBTQ+ veterans, serving personnel and their families. It helps organisations understand the experiences of those affected by the Armed Forces “gay ban” and consider how those experiences may create barriers to accessing local services and support.
Joining PiVS is a practical and visible way for a local authority to demonstrate that LGBTQ+ members of the Armed Forces community will be treated with dignity, respect and understanding.
You can:
We would be delighted to support your local authority on its journey towards becoming even more inclusive and welcoming to every member of the Armed Forces community.
Every share could reach a veteran who has lived with this injustice for decades. Please help us find those who are still missing and ensure that no eligible veteran loses the opportunity to apply before the scheme closes on 12 December 2026.
Peter Gibson
Chief Executive
Tel 07971 483474
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