Passing Out: The Podcast

Passing Out the Podcast returns for LGBT+ History Month and in this episode James sits down with Elaine Chambers. 
Elaine joined the Army in 1982 at the age of 21 as a Student Nurse. After qualifying as a staff nurse she became a junior sister in the rank of Lieutenant.  In 1987 rumours circulating about Elaine's sexuality resulted in a visit from the Military Police, she was questioned at length and diaries and letters were read which led to her associates, past and present being interrogated in the search for evidence against her. After being forced to resign from her post, Elaine met Robert Ely (Episode 1) and in 1991 co-founded 'Rank Outsiders', a campaign and support group for veterans who shared their experiences. 

In this episode James sits down with Staff Sergeant Guy Lowe-Barrow who grew up in St Vincent and The Grenadines - a country where it's still illegal to be gay. In 2001, Guy was one of the first individuals to be recruited by the British Army from The Caribbean. He was awarded an MBE for his services to diversity and inclusion in 2020. Guy talks about what it means to be a queer person of colour in the Army, growing up in a country that doesn't accept you, UK Black Pride and how far attitudes have changed in the last two decades.

In this episode James sits down with Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Deborah Penny, who was born in 1966 in Karachi West, Pakistan and joined the army in September 1982. WO2 Penny came out to the army and her family and friends as Transgender in 2004, four years after the ban on LGBT+ soldiers serving had been lifted. In 2006, with the army's support, she was able to start the journey to transition which took until 2010. In 2012 she deployed to Afghanistan and became the first Transgender soldier on the front line. Following this she used her experiences to provide advice to the Chain of Command on Transgender issues and set up a network for women and LGBT+ personnel. Deborah talks about the difficult decisions she had to make whilst balancing her career with her gender identity, what the most common misconceptions are about transpeople and how she formed a lesbian motorcycle club.

In this episode James sits down with 70-year-old Robert Ely who joined the British Army in 1967 as a musician with the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals. In 1979, he was appointed Bandmaster of the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment and served with them until 1986 when he was discharged for his sexual orientation. Robert later founded ‘Rank Outsiders’ – a self-help group of ex-service personnel who had lost their careers through similar circumstances, and in 1991 he went on to give evidence in Parliament to the ‘Armed Forces Select Committee’ which eventually led to the complete lifting of the ban on LGBT serving personnel in the year 2000. Robert talks about growing up in a time when it was illegal to be gay in the UK, the way he felt when he was unceremoniously dismissed from his dream career, and how even though he came close to losing everything - he never stopped fighting for change.

PASSING OUT: The Podcast is a series of conversations with currently serving and veteran soldiers from the LGBTQ+ community sharing their stories, experiences and life lessons from their time in the British Army.

On the 21st anniversary of the lifting of the ban on LGBTQ+ soldiers serving in the British Military, host James Robert Moore discusses what it means to be out and queer in an environment that up until the year 2000 criminalised homosexuality - and hears the real life stories from those who served had the courage and fight to live in a world, and be part of an institution that didn't want to accept them.

These pioneers challenged the army's views on what it means to be queer and authentically themselves - and they are here to challenge your opinions too.