British Military Still Bars Homosexuals

The military will continue to bar homosexuals because they would undermine order and discipline, the government said Thursday.

“It is not a moral judgment, but a practical assessment by those best placed to make it, that is to say the military,” said Roger Freeman, defense procurement minister.

Speaking in a parliamentary debate on the Royal Air Force, Freeman said the military’s policy of discharging homosexuals was “fully supported by the government.”

The Ministry of Defense “has long taken the view that homosexuality is not compatible with securing the aims of the armed forces because it undermines the order and discipline necessary for military effectiveness,” he said.