Coming Home: LGBT Armed Forces veterans see their stories told in special comic
A special comic has been released featuring stories from those who served in the military under the so-called gay ban 25 years ago.
Craig Jones served in the Royal Navy both before and after the ban on lesbian and gay service personnel was lifted in 2000.
Now his story of hiding his sexuality from the chain of command has been told in the comic, alongside three others.
Craig explained: "There was a moment in my life which had a profound impact upon me.
"I was in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and I went to do an armed boarding on a potter [a type of fishing boat] that seemed to be a little bit too quiet.
"We couldn't see anybody on deck, so I got on a Rigid Raider with a police officer... and we heard some scurrying.
"So, I stuck my head down the hatch, and I saw two young men on a mattress in each others' arms, clearly a relationship, and I felt instantly protective."
Craig now describes this event as a watershed moment in his life, forming the officer and man he went on to become.
He said of the two young men: "Not only did they give me the courage to find the person that I was, in some respects, I look back on that and think that they gave me the courage to become the champion that I hope that I've been over the last decades for this amazing community of veterans.
"And literally two months later, when my tour in Northern Ireland finished, I walked into my first gay bar and, with the efficiency you'd expect of a Royal Naval officer, sat down on a bar stool next to my husband."
The comic has been released to mark the 25th anniversary of the lifting of the ban on gay and lesbian service personnel.
It's called Coming Home and can be purchased online.
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