He was decorated for his fight during the Falklands War, but was fired for being bisexual

Joe Ousalice was beaten with honors during the Falklands War, but that did not prevent him from being expelled from the British Royal Navy for his bibadualityat a time when it was forbidden for homobaduals to be military. The 68-year-old man has decided to go to court to recover his medals.

According to the newspaper The GuardianOusalice was tried by a court martial in 1993, after being accused of indecent abuse by a sailor.

L & # 39; man he always denied the charges and was acquitted. However, during the trial, he was forced to reveal your bibaduality before the court martial and was released from the navy after 18 years as the main radio operator because I could "corrupt" to other members. It should be noted that homobaduals could not serve as an army until the year 2000 in the United Kingdom.

In pursuit of justice, Ousalice sued the Ministry of Defense to send him back a medal and three badges of good conduct who were confiscated at the time of his dismissal.

The human rights organization Liberty, representing Ousalice, hopes that the case will pave the way for the return of lost medals to other soldiers destitute for their baduality.

As he explained, Ousalice's navy "did not represent only his work", but rather "It was his life." "But to do it, I had to hide another important part, something that I did because I loved my life so much in the navy, I did not want to leave it. But I should not have had to choose. "

"They made me feel odious and in the end I was filed on the basis of invented charges, in addition to being told that Because I was attracted to men, my 18 years of service did not count at all. It was devastating, "said the man.

"All I want now is that my medal and my badges be rendered, and the recognition of the government and the Royal British Navy for all the years of service and hard work that I gave them. And also I want other LGBT veterans to know that they are not aloneand that we all deserve the same recognition, "he said.

Emma Norton, one of Liberty's members, said The Guardian that "the Ministry of Defense horribly discriminated against LGBT members armed forces for decades ".

"Joe is unlikely to be the only one in this situation." The Ministry of Defense wrote to him a few years ago that he was discussing the issue of members of the forces who had been stripped of their medals because of their baduality. Therefore, they know that it affects other people. To give the medal to Joe would somehow change the horrendous treatment he suffered. "said the representative of freedom.

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said that he could not comment on the situation, but that they "badyze how they can return the medals to the staff expelled from the service because of their baduality or crimes currently eliminated. "