Royal Air Force launch first official LGBTsupport network
Peter LloydThe Royal Air Force have today launched the first official Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender peer support network within the UK Armed Forces.
Entitled Freedom, it was unveiled at the RAF’s Diversity Conference at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham, this afternoon.
Whilst there has been a Ministry of Defence-endorsed network based around Proud2Serve.net for several years, this will be the first support network aimed directly at the RAF which will allow personnel to directly engage with the Equality and Diversity staff.
This is a considerable leap forward from just twelve years ago when members of the RAF would be discharged if they were discovered to be homosexual.
According to a statement, the aim of the network is "to ensure that all personnel are able to operate effectively within an operational environment, without the added pressure of worries about their sexuality."
It shall also allow the wider community to get involved with projects that the RAF LGBT Forum has been working on for the last four years.
This includes working with the RAF recruiters to highlight the RAF as an employer of choice to young LGBT people.
Over the next 12 months the RAF will be re-launching its peer mentoring scheme, and the RAF LGBT Forum will be at the fore-front of its implementation.
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