FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL REPARATIONS DEADLINE
The deadline for applying for financial and non-financial reparations has been confirmed as the
12th December 2026.
RESTORING RECOGNITION
Our Restoration and Reparation work follows the Etherton Review, an independent investigation into the historic treatment of LGBTQ+ personnel in the UK Armed Forces under the pre-2000 “gay ban.”
The WRAC Association has supported affected female veterans, helping them reconnect with the Armed Forces community and regain recognition for their service
Working with government, the Ministry of Defence, and organisations such as Fighting With Pride, the Association has supported initiatives including the restoration of berets and cap badges, and the formal recognition of those impacted by the ban.
This work represents an important step in acknowledging past injustices and ensuring that all women who served are treated with dignity, respect and fairness.
“I was still a child, only just 18, when I joined up. I had dreams of working myway up in the Army and making it my lifelong career. With no inkling of my sexuality, I had no reason to fear as I knew I was up to the job. Discovering your true self should be elating but, because of the ban, it was tinged with apprehension. When the time came to choose between love and my career, with no chance of having both, I chose love and a life free from hiding. Receiving my beret, surrounded by acceptance and with real accountability from the Army was liberating and brought the two parts of my life together."
Joanna Watkins
Our restoration & reparation work is part of a wider effort to ensure that every woman who served is recognised, respected and remembered.
I was filled with pride to receive my beret at such an amazing and emotional presentation. Thank you to the WRAC Association for making the occasion so very special, a day firmly etched in my memory. To be welcomed back as a Lioness means more than words can say. I'm reconnecting with long lost friends, and making new ones along the way. If I was young enough, I would jump at the chance of re-enlisting with the ban lifted (maybe in another lifetime!). I’m looking forward to reunions and events feeling truly accepted and belonging.
Jo MacDonald
