Craig A. Jones
(1970 - living) U.K.
The first openly gay officer in the Royal Navy
Craig A. Jones, of Brighton, Lieutenant-Commander in the British Royal Navy, served alongside American troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and shared his experience in the British armed services and what military life is like where he was allowed to be open about his sexual orientation. The U.K. armed forces have allowed gays to serve openly since 2000.
Jones said he became aware of the policy change when he was an operations officer aboard HMS Fearless in 2000. He said the announcement released him
"from the wearying requirement to guard the detail of my life for fear of repercussion. But amidst this feeling of release I was presented with the dilemma of how to react," Jones said. "For me, secrecy and a lack of openness goes against the grain of the enduring friendships we enjoy in service life, and I had never been comfortable with maintaining economy of truth."
When Jones came out in 2000, he said that
"reactions were individual, some were immediately supportive" and others "were very unsure of how to react. Over the 18 months that followed the issue of my sexuality was ever-present, not because of any incident or event, but because people take time to adjust, it was a process of education at the pace that each individual found comfortable."
|
