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Campaigning Naval Officer recognised with MBE in New Years Honours List for diversity work

30 Dec 05. The Royal Navy’s most senior openly gay officer has been honoured with an MBE in the New Years Honours List for the invaluable contribution he has made to the promotion of diversity within the RN, and to the support of gay and lesbian personnel.

Lieutenant Commander Craig Jones 37, who works as a senior warfare officer in Northwood HQ, has been the lead consultant for the gay community in the Armed Forces since 2001 and has played a leading role in the development of policy and initiatives aimed at improving conditions of service for gay men and women in the Royal Navy and other Services.

Craig said:

“It has been my privilege as a champion of equality to be able to play a part in helping gay men and women feel welcome and valued in the Armed Forces throughout a time of very significant change. I was particularly pleased to be involved in setting the course for the Royal Navy’s membership of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Scheme.

“The Armed Forces is still a challenging environment for all men and women who choose it as a career, yet I hope that in the coming years we continue our progress towards making our gay men and women feel universally welcomed for who they are, valued for their contribution and respected for their willingness to take their place in the communities of the Armed Forces.”

His citation for MBE covers the period from January 2000 - when the Ministry of Defence announced homosexuals would be permitted to serve in the Armed Forces - to May this year.

Craig joined the RN in 1989 and has served in Northern Ireland, the Adriatic and the Gulf. He lives in Brighton with his partner Adam.