Captain McClain Carter is marching in the Army contingent of Pride in London this weekend. In his own words, he explains his experience of being LGBT officer in the Army.
Capt McLain Carter
First off, I’m not what you’d consider a ‘typical’ Army Officer, indeed I had never considered the Army as a career.
That changed once I went to the University of Stirling where, by chance, I joined Tayforth Officer Training Corps (OTC). I came to realise that a lot of my preconceptions about the military were in fact based in ignorance and as such began a journey from UOTC to 7 SCOTS (Army Reserve) before commissioning initially into the Royal Regiment of Scotland and then finally into Adjutants General Corps.
You have a whole community ready to support you. Captain McClain Carter
It hasn’t been an easy journey, with lots of ups and downs. But it matches my coming story. It took me a long time to acknowledge my sexuality, I got very good at lying to myself let alone those around me. Honesty is the best policy as the saying goes though.
But coming out, like joining the Army, has been the best thing I have done so far in my life and would say to anyone to give it a chance.
If you are in the military and are thinking of coming out: go for it. You have a whole community ready to support you.