Craig Jones MBE
Executive Chair of Fighting with Pride of the military LGBT+ charity Fighting With Pride and the principle leader of the Armed Forces LGBT+ community in the difficult years after the ‘gay ban' was lifted.
Craig Jones is the Executive Chair of Fighting with Pride of the military LGBT+ charity Fighting With Pride and the principle leader of the Armed Forces LGBT+ community in the difficult years after the ‘ban’ was lifted.
In a busy 20 year operational career in the Royal Navy, Craig was a helicopter fast rope boarding officer during operations to clear the Shatt Al Arab following the first Gulf War and he led border patrols in Northern Ireland in the challenging year prior to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Later he was the deputy navigator of the Fleet flagship HMS INVINCIBLE during Operation BOLTON.
On the day of the lifting of the ‘gay ban’ in 2000, Craig came out and led challenging work to restore the Armed Forces Covenant for the serving LGBT+ community. Craig was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2006 for services to Equality and Human Rights in the Armed Forces. Craig retired from the Armed Forces in 2008.
Craig has previously been a Board Member of the charity ‘Employers Forum on Disability’, a special advisor to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and a Member of OFCOMs Broadcasting Equality Regulator.
Craig is married to Adam and lives in Roedean, Brighton.
Find Fighting With Pride on Facebook: @fightingwithpride
"The LGBT+ community in the Armed Forces were treated shamefully in the service of their country and the years since. With the team at FWP, I hope my voice can bring help and support as our LGBT+ veterans begin their journey of reparation."
In the Media
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Craig Jones MBE wrote an op-ed in The Big Issue on the historic announcement of a £75m government scheme to support LGBT+ veterans and those affected by the LGBTQ+ ban in the armed forces.
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Craig Jones MBE was quoted in The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Mail and across the media about the UK’s first ever memorial to LGBT armed forces personnel.
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Craig Jones MBE was featured in various publications on the pressing need for action regarding LGBT+ veterans’ rights. The story was in The Independent, BBC News, and The Evening Standard.
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Craig Jones MBE and Fighting with Pride had a huge campaign win when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak formally apologised on behalf of the State to LGBT+ veterans for the homophobic ‘gay ban’ in the military in place until 2000.
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Craig Jones MBE in the Big Issue on his story and Fighting with Pride’s campaign for reparations. Part of a series of 4 articles.