The British Army's chief of the general staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has told a conference on gay matters that gay men and women were welcome to serve in the army.
Even though the ban on gays serving in the British military was lifted in 2000, the effort is still underway to make sure tolerance of gays trickles down through the many ranks and that gays feel truly welcome to join, without fear of discrimination.
Dannatt told the Fourth Joint Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Matters that acceptance and respect of gays in the army was now "a command responsibility" and was vital for "operational effectiveness".
It was only 2007 when Dannatt banned soldiers in uniform from attending London's Gay Pride march. Unlike navy and air force personnel who are allowed to attend such marches in uniform, the army has often had a strained attitude towards the gay pride issue.
The general, who is said to be a Christian with deeply held views, was reportedly determined to address the conference to show that the army is a tolerant organisation, where people can make a significant contribution no matter their orientation.
[dna]
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