A Falklands veteran who is suing the Ministry Of Defence says he was “made to feel disgusting” after being forced out of the Royal Navy for being bisexual.
Joe Ousalice spent almost 18 years in the Navy but says he was hounded out in 1992 and allegedly had his long service and good conduct medal cut from his chest just because he was bisexual.
With the support of human rights charity Liberty, Ousalice is now fighting to get his medal back and an apology from the MoD. He also wants to see other military personnel who were dismissed over their sexuality to have medals returned.
Emma Norton, head of legal casework at Liberty said as result of the culture at the time, Ousalice was “very unlikely” to be the only person in this situation.
With regards to Ousalice’s case, the MoD said it would be “inappropriate” to comment as legal proceedings are ongoing.
However, a spokesperson said: “We are currently looking at how personnel discharged from service because of their sexuality, or now abolished sexual offences, can have their medals returned.”
As a Lead Radio Operator, Ousalice saw action in the Falklands War, took part in six tours in Northern Ireland, and was seconded to a key Nato taskforce.
However, Ousalice said from the first days of training it had been made blatantly clear that two things were banned in the Navy: “drugs and gays”.
While ashore in 1992, he was arrested by civilian police and charged with gross indecency with another man, which he pleaded not guilty to.
He was convicted and lost an appeal, but his sentence was reduced to a conditional discharge. After this he said his job in the Navy was marked.
A couple of months later he was falsely accused of indecent assault of another sailor, and though fully acquitted of this charge at a court martial hearing, he was nevertheless found guilty of “conduct prejudicial good order and naval discipline” after having been forced to publicly acknowledge his bisexuality.
As a result, his long service and good conduct medal and badges, earned through almost 18 years of impeccable service, was cut from his chest straight after the trial had concluded.
Ousalice said being in the Navy wasn’t just a job to him, it was his life.
He said: “But to do it I had to hide another important part of me, which I did because I loved the Navy life so much I didn’t want to give it up. But I shouldn’t have been asked to choose.
“I was made to feel like I was disgusting and in the end I was hounded out on some trumped up charges, and told that because I was attracted to men, my 18 years of service counted for nothing.”
The ordeal left him heart broken, he said, and it took him years to recover.
“All I want now is my medal and badges back, and recognition from the government and the Royal Navy for all the years of service and hard work I gave them,” he said. “And I also want other LGBT veterans to know they’re not alone, and that we all deserve the same recognition.”
Norton, who is representing Ousalice, said: “The MoD discriminated horribly against LGBT members of the armed forces for decades. They subjected people to degrading and intrusive investigations into their private lives, destroying careers and damaging lives.
“Joe is very unlikely to be the only one in this situation. The MoD themselves wrote to Joe years ago, saying that they were looking into the issue of those who had forfeited medals as a consequence of their sexuality. So they know this must affect other people.
Norton added that returning Joe’s medal will “go some way towards making amends for the appalling treatment” he suffered.