What do you see in the picture, do you recognise anyone? Are there any symbols you recognise? What do you think this story might be about?
Last week King Charles III unveiled a memorial to LGBT veterans at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. This is the first memorial in the UK to military personnel who are Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender. There has been a campaign for 25 years to have a memorial for LGBT veterans.
Why do you think it has taken so long?
Why do you think this memorial exists?
Has LGBT always been accepted in the army?
The bronze sculpture was designed by a Norfolk- based artist collective Abraxas Academy and resembles a crumpled piece of paper containing words from personal letters from by LGBT soldiers that were used as evidence to incriminate them.
What does incriminate mean? How can a letter incriminate someone?
Why use words and letters, why not have a statue of a gay soldier?
Being gay in the military was banned until the year 2000. Before 2000, if you were LGBT you could be dismissed from the army.
Why do you think this happened? What is this an example of?
How do you think it felt to have to hide who you were to your colleagues and friends?
Why wouldn't this happen today? What law do we have today that stops this happening, what other groups are protected in this law?
This photo shows Ltd Cdr Duncan Lustig-Prean who describes how he hid his sexuality while in the navy before the year 2000. His boyfriend' name was Phil so Duncan used to practice saying "Phyliss" if anyone asked about a girlfriend. He would put photos of a girl next to his bed on the ship, never a photo of Phil. He and Phil would write to each other but would never sign letters to each other with full names.
Why not?
Why not just tell close friends?
When the ship left harbour for a lengthy deployment (sometimes eight months) everyone else would have their loved ones waving on the dock. Phil could never join the loved ones on the dock; he would walk a few miles down the coast and wave at the ship from a sea wall on his own; Duncan would always look out for him.
What does this show about Phil and Duncan's relationship at the time?
Duncan was suspended and later discharged from the navy after 15 years in 1994 because they found out he was gay. Seeing the monument today, Duncan says is an "intensely emotional experience - not just because we never expected to vet this far, but also because for anyone who serves, remembrance of those who gave their lives is profoundly important to us."
Why do you think Duncan wants to remember something that was so hard for him at the time?
The Ministry of Defence says today it deeply regrets the treatment of those affected by the ban; "What they experienced was not reflective of today's values or the inclusive culture of the armed forces."
What does inclusive culture mean, how is the military different today?
Why is this about No Outsiders?
Which British Value is this about?
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No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat (scheme of work for primary schools)
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