Posted on 02/20/2021 6:05:26 PM PST by Ennis85
The head of MI6 has apologised for the “misguided, unjust and discriminatory” ban on gay spies, 30 years after the restriction was lifted.
In a message on Twitter, Richard Moore, the head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, apologised for the treatment of LGBT staff and potential candidates before the government-wide security ban was lifted in 1991.
Same-sex relationships were decriminalised in Britain in 1967. However, it took more than two decades before the security bar to LGBT individuals serving in any of the UK intelligence agencies was rescinded.
Mr Moore said this was down to a “misguided view that they would be more susceptible to blackmail than straight people”. He added: “Because of this policy, loyal and patriotic people had their dreams of serving their country in MI6 shattered. This was wrong, unjust and discriminatory.
“I apologise on behalf of MI6 for the way our LGBT colleagues and fellow citizens were treated and express my regret to those whose lives were affected.”
MI6 did not put a figure on how many people were likely to have been affected by the ban due to the organisation’s security policy regarding the disclosure of staff numbers.
Prior to 1991, MI6 would not allow LGBT staff to work for them and prevented LGBT applicants from joining. Although the issue of sexual preference is still raised in security vetting interviews for prospective MI6 employees, as well as staff in regular reviews, there is no discrimination and the information is used only to understand better an individual’s close relationships.
Security experts acknowledge sexual practices no longer hold the blackmail potential in Western countries they did in the past.
The most famous casualty was Alan Turing, who worked at Bletchley Park during World War II and played a critical part in cracking the German Enigma codes. It is estimated his work shortened the war in Europe by more than two years and saved more than 14 million lives.
However, his homosexuality saw him barred from working with GCHQ (Government Communications Network) after the war. He died from suicide in 1954 and only received a pardon in 2009.
Mr Moore said that even after the ban was lifted in 1991 “its effects lingered”.
Uhm, weren’t most of the UK’s spies during the Cold War homosexual?
Awful for the gays and lesbians that suffered, but it seems like sexual orientation would have been a legitimate concern of the background checkers considering the public attitudes of the day toward homosexuality and the related blackmail possibilities.
It still is.
No it was not “awful”
It was a real,security risk
And its perversion, not a character asset
Most of the ones who betrayed their country were: Guy Burgess, Donald MacLean, and Anthony Blunt, just to name the few who were discovered.
Despite the “public attitudes”, homosexuality is still a mental disorder, no matter what fallacious propaganda is pushed on us - and no, they can’t be trusted.
Moore apologizes that the Cambridge Five had to recruit in the closet.
Quiz for the day—what is British slang for Transgenders....?
Answer:
Mollies
I don't watch FOX anymore, but I do watch occasional segments that someone happens to upload to youtube, and I watched Judge Jeannine's opening statement tonight, where she blasted Biden for essentially killing girls sports, by allowing biological boys who "identify as girls", to compete with girls, in girls sports.
If you want to see her opening remarks tonight, click here: "Justice With Judge Jeanine 2/20/21 (Opening Remarks)"
The irony of prior homo problems with Brit spies was my first thought on reading the headline.
LOL....Yet the Democrats have still not apologized for slavery in the USA, the Civil War they started and standing against Civil Right’s.
Archie Bunker was right about England.
Sounds like the head is trolling for some gay “friendship”.
Can Hatred of Christians Lead to Support of Sexual Minorities?
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2019/03/50399/
I heard long ago that the issue with Turing wasn’t that he was a homosexual but rather he kept getting busted picking up teen boys. Eventually the cops stopped looking the other way.
>> It was a real security risk
As a matter of coercion, certainly. No apologies should have been made for realistic measures enforced decades ago.
And its still morally wrong today
whether it feels right or not
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