I'm a solider who was jailed for being gay - now I've finally got some closure
An ex-soldier who was jailed for kissing a fellow serviceman in the 1980s has become one the first gay veterans to have his ceremonial cap badge returned to him.
Stephen Close, 61, was court martialled, discharged with disgrace, imprisoned and placed on the sex offenders register for having a relationship with a fellow soldier. Earlier this week, he was invited to the Royal Fusiliers' regimental HQ at the Tower of London to re-receive his military cap and badge, 40 years on from his discharge.
Stephen Close, 61, was court martialled, discharged with disgrace, imprisoned and placed on the sex offenders register for having a relationship with a fellow soldier. Earlier this week, he was invited to the Royal Fusiliers' regimental HQ at the Tower of London to re-receive his military cap and badge, 40 years on from his discharge.
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00:00Hi, my name's Stephen Close. I'm a 61-year-old Army veteran who was discharged with disgrace
00:09from the Army in 1983 for having a normal sexual relationship with another soldier.
00:16Last Monday I was invited to the Tower of London to receive my cap badge under the recommendations
00:23of the Lord Evington Report. Under the Lord Evington's report, he had 49 recommendations.
00:35One of the recommendations was for ex-servicemen to be awarded back their cap badges and berets
00:42and I went to Tower of London on Monday to receive mine.
00:49It was a very emotional and proud moment and it's closure to a very long 40-year struggle.
00:57No resentment, just disappointment at how long it took. It was a 41-year campaign and
01:06struggle. It was a struggle for 30 years of being a convicted sex offender up until 2013
01:16when I received my royal pardon and I've also received the apology finally from the
01:21government last July. Well hopefully I can draw a line under it now and everything's
01:28going to be much more relaxed I hope in the future.