International LGBTQIA Human Rights petition site ALLOUT is appealing for signatories to a new petition aimed at encouraging the government of Australia to apologise for the historic homophobia and biphobia that pervaded the Armed Forces and led to dishonourable discharges for many people who were committed to serving their country. All Out says by way of explanation: "In the 1980s, David Gibson joined Australia's military straight out of high school. Years later, military police questioned him about his sexuality, then pressured him to name the people he had slept with, in what David calls a "witch hunt" to out LGBT+ people.

He says the interrogation became so overwhelming that he made up information just to make it stop. He was discharged in 1989 for being bisexual and, to this day, he still doesn't know how the military found out in the first place.

David was not alone. For decades, the Australian Defence Force investigated, punished, or discharged personnel simply for who they loved. Many are still living with the consequences today.

Parliament is now considering legislation to clear criminal convictions for LGBT+ veterans, but it leaves out those who were discharged or forced into resignation. The Senate's own committee says it doesn't go far enough and calls for broader redress: an apology, corrected records, and fair compensation.

Sign the petition and ask the Australian Government to give every veteran that acknowledgement."

https://action.allout.org/en/m/f53e3a39/