Heterosexual people were only allowed to serve in the British Armed Forces until the turn of the century, and troops who discovered sexuality were often stripped of their honors before being discharged.
They can now request a refund.
It comes after a legal campaign by Falklands War veteran Joe Ousalice, who was forced from the Royal Navy in 1993 to be bisexual and who lived in poverty when he returned to the country.
He previously told the BBC that when his superiors discovered his sexuality, “they cut off (my medal) chest with big scissors”.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, wrote in a tweet on Tuesday: “Those who serve in our armed forces deserve full recognition for their service.
“It was a great injustice that this was denied to some members simply because of their sexuality. I greatly accept the fact that we can now fix this historic mistake.”
LGBTQ groups have welcomed this move, but have urged the government to go further and address other consequences suffered by people who were discharged for their sexuality.
“It is deeply unfortunate that, because of their sexuality, some members of the Armed Forces have been treated in the past in a way that would not be acceptable today,” Defense Minister Annabel Goldie said in a statement.
“As a result of disciplinary action and termination of service, some staff members lost the medals they had won, and others were denied the opportunity to continue the service that could have resulted in the restoration. of medals lost for different reasons “.
The Ministry of Defense said it was “committed to fixing this historic mistake” and encouraged veterans to come forward. Relatives may request the name of a former dead troop.
LGBTQ activists have urged ministers to also address compensation claims, loss of pension rights, mental health of veterans and other issues facing people who were victims of pre-2000 legislation.
“This is the first step in recognizing the broader repairs,” the LGBTQ service group Fighting With Pride said. “Our goal is to ensure that the impact of all historical infractions is recognized and properly resolved, not just the return of medals.”
In recent years, the British government has taken into account the consequences of a number of historic homophobic laws.
In 2016, the UK government announced that thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted under the now-abolished sexual offense laws would be posthumously pardoned.
The proposal was christened the “Turing Law,” which was named after Alan Turing, the World War II code-breaker, who committed suicide in 1954 after undergoing chemical castration as punishment for homosexual activity.