323:, who argued that "(closing saunas) would make it more difficult for organisations like Terrence Higgins Trust to provide safer sex information, supply condoms and deliver HIV testing services among groups at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV." Wharton later retracted his comments, which he said were in part due to a traumatic experience he had in a sauna when he was eighteen.
239:
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351:"And it became obvious to me that there was an undercurrent of drug use going on in all these places. The last time I was single, in 2006, drugs were underground. I was up and down the streets of Soho, and if they’d been there, I would have seen them. But when I come back in 2014 as a single person? Everyone is high. Everyone is offering you drugs. Nobody seems to care."
333:
In 2014, a year after leaving in the army, Wharton's civil partnership broke down and he moved to an apartment in north London. A far cry from the house he lived in with his civil partner and their two dogs. In need of a new circle of friends, Wharton discovered the London chemsex network and fell
263:
decorated the cover alongside the word "pride" in bold. Just nine years before it was illegal to be gay and serve in the armed forces. The following year, Wharton entered a Civil
Partnership, which was later that day celebrated at the non-commissioned officers' mess in the Household Cavalry's Hyde
342:
wrote of the book "(it) looks compassionately at a growing culture that's now moved beyond London and established itself as more than a short-term craze." His publisher, Iain Dale said, "this book...describes the true secret lives of many men in the nation’s capital. It’s an important story that
314:
In a column for the launch edition of Winq magazine in 2014, Wharton advocated the closure of gay saunas. He claimed that saunas promoted homophobia and were "thorns in our side that mark our community as different for the wrong reasons." His views sparked a nationwide controversy and met with
355:
In 2016, Wharton, seeking help with his addiction, turned to the
Wandsworth Community Drug and Alcohol Service, and with their support, walked away from the chemsex culture. Following his recovery, Wharton went on to campaign against the stigma of chemsex addiction and the danger it presents to
258:
In 2009, Wharton was invited to appear in
Soldier magazine – the official monthly publication of the British Army. What Wharton expected to be a short article on his experience as an openly gay soldier in the British Army turned out to be the featured article. A photograph of Wharton in dress
130:
of London for his work as a prominent LGBT activist. Following working in public relations and for the LGBT-specialist insurance company
Emerald Life, Wharton was the Wellbeing Services Manager at Birmingham LGBT until September 2019. As of 2023, Wharton is a reporter working for
288:. In 2013, after a decade of service, which included meeting Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and David Cameron, and advising representatives of the US Armed Forces on their "Don't Ask, Don't tell" policy, Wharton left the army and published his autobiography.
254:
press release, "personnel will be considered to be on-duty for the uniformed element of the event"). At first worried that he might be the only serviceman to attend, Wharton was joined by over fifty uniformed men and women from across the armed services.
151:, and 298 were dismissed in 1999, the year before the ban was lifted. A legal challenge to this stance was taken up by four people who had been investigated and dismissed for being gay — a female nurse and male administrator dismissed from the
283:
with the heading "Have you heard the one about the Iraq veteran who can fight for his country but can't get married?" In the same year, Wharton came 20th of 250 influential lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on
195:), the MOD subsequently lifted the ban, and began allowing gay people into the services from 2000 onwards. According to a national opinion poll published a week before the ruling, the ban had been opposed by 68% of Britons.
279:. Wharton returned to public attention in May 2012, when a photograph of him – in uniform and without permission from his commanding officer – alongside his civil partner was published on the cover of
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By the mid-2000s, the Armed Forces had begun to celebrate their modern approach to diversity and in 2008, gay servicemen and lesbian service women were encouraged to take part in London
453:
837:
298:
Published in 2013 (and with an afterword) in 2014, Wharton's autobiography and first book was met with critical acclaim. Covering
Wharton's career in the army from 2003 to 2013,
111:
activist. Wharton was born in
Wrexham on the first of January 1987, and grew up in the nearby village of Gwersyllt. In 2009, he garnered attention by featuring on the cover of
184:
119:. Wharton came out as gay to his regiment in 2005, aged 18 and just six years after the army's discrimination against gay people was declared a breach of human rights by the
422:
223:
as a member of an armoured reconnaissance unit. In 2008, Wharton was seconded to Canada to take part in the training troops for active service under the command of
1016:
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in
Strasbourg. In September 1999, this court ruled that investigations by military authorities into a service person's sexuality breaches their right to privacy (
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described it as "the most moving book I have read" and publisher Ian Dale listed it as among the top 25 books published by
Politico's & Biteback.
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Having had a lifelong ambition to serve in the
British Army, Wharton began his career aged sixteen, following three years with the
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and he defended his publicising Prince Harry's role in it by saying "(he) wanted to write honestly about his time in the Army".
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319:, Matthew Hodson, chief executive of the gay men's health charity GMFA, and Jason Warriner, clinical director for
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in 2005. For his first two years, Wharton's duties were largely ceremonial but in 2007 he saw active service in
969:"Something for the weekend: one of the UK's first openly gay soldiers discusses his addiction to sex and drugs"
168:
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187:). In light of the ruling (which as an ECHR ruling applies to the militaries of all member states of the
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635:"Armed Forces In Top 100 LGBT Employers. All of the Armed Services make it into Stonewall's Top 100"
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of the top 100 employers who help achieve acceptance without exception for all LGBT people.
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115:– the official monthly publication of the British Army – as an openly gay trooper in the
838:"'Shut down gay saunas if you want the community taken seriously,' says LGBT campaigner"
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Wharton left the army in 2013 after ten years' service and in 2014, he was granted the
995:
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338:– that included recounts of his personal involvement – which was published in 2017.
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from soldiers in another regiment. Wharton later described the incident in his book
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160:
423:"James Wharton: The former Guard now fighting discrimination against gay soldiers"
275:. In 2011, Wharton formally escorted the Queen Elizabeth II at the wedding of the
238:
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Obverse of the Iraq Medal with clasp, showing design of clasp and suspension bar
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454:"Armed Forces celebrates diversity with gay serviceman in Soldier magazine"
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147:(MOD) policy was to continue the long-standing ban on gay people in the
657:"Uniformed Personnel to attend Gay Pride (official RAF press release)"
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Having returned to ceremonial duties, in 2010, Wharton took part in
605:"'Sorry, I guess', says soldier who revealed Prince Harry's secrets"
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needs to be told and will surprise many". In a 2017 interview for
237:
920:"Something for the Weekend : Life in the Chemsex Underworld"
108:
207:. After his basic training at The Army Foundation College in
167:. Their legal challenge was supported by the pressure groups
720:
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described it as "a wonderful, stirring and thrilling read".
813:"Out In The Army My Life as a Gay Soldier by James Wharton"
792:"The Top 25 Books I Published at Politico's & Biteback"
877:"Something For The Weekend Life in the Chemsex Underworld"
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In 2019, the
British Army was ranked at joint 51st in the
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328:
Something for the weekend – Life in the chemsex underworld
123:. Before 2000, Wharton could have been court-martialled.
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Something for the Weekend': Life in the Chemsex Underworld
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Something for the Weekend. Life in the Chemsex Underworld
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Something for the Weekend. Life in the Chemsex Underworld
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from 2003 to 2004, Wharton signed up as a Trooper in the
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Something for the weekend:Life in the chemsex underworld
946:"Groundbreaking gay Iraq veteran: I'm a chemsex addict"
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strong opposition by notable LGBT activists, including
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Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
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42:
23:
582:"Gay soldier: Prince Harry saved me from attack"
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368:, 2nd Revised edition, Biteback Publishing,
66:Author, LGBT activist, former Lance Corporal
8:
769:"Out in the Army: My Life as a Gay Soldier"
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445:
944:Butterworth, Benjamin (24 February 2017).
293:Out in the Army – My Life as a Gay Soldier
273:official birthday of the British sovereign
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366:Out in the Army. My Life as a Gay Soldier
101:Out in the Army: My Life as a Gay Soldier
485:"From army poster boy to chemsex addict"
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1017:British Army personnel of the Iraq War
967:Gander, Kashmira (2 September 2017).
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693:"A very modern military partnership"
559:"Head to head: Gays in the military"
271:, which since 1748, has marked the
723:British Military Ceremonial website
250:in their uniforms. (According to a
603:Sanghani, Radhika (17 June 2013).
334:victim to it. Wharton later wrote
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546:UK Gays win military legal battle
452:Simpson, Aislinn (27 July 2009).
421:Atwood, Karen (14 October 2004).
227:, who defended Wharton against a
163:, both males, dismissed from the
836:Brown, Jonathan (3 March 2014).
179:in London, they appealed to the
1037:Military personnel from Wrexham
483:Clarke, Murray (29 July 2017).
175:. After losing the case at the
580:Hughes, Tammy (10 June 2013).
181:European Court of Human Rights
121:European Court of Human Rights
1:
691:Judd, Terri (27 March 2010).
561:. BBC News. 27 September 1999
277:Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
732:Attitude magazine, May 2012
548:BBC News, 27 September 1999
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356:mental and sexual health.
321:The Terrence Higgins Trust
1012:Blues and Royals officers
866:(2014 edition) pp.353–353
790:Dale, Ian (2 June 2018).
86:Something for the weekend
30:
743:"The IoS Pink List 2012"
681:"Out in the Army" p. 226
259:uniform and wearing his
143:Until 2000, the British
1022:British autobiographers
901:, Biteback Publishing,
383:, Biteback Publishing,
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310:Gay saunas controversy
269:Trooping of the Colour
243:
879:. Biteback Publishing
241:
37:James Wharton in 2013
157:Lieutenant Commander
25:James Ronald Wharton
1032:People from Wrexham
1027:British gay writers
771:. Barnes& Noble
717:Trooping The Colour
145:Ministry of Defence
128:Freedom of the City
535:. 31 January 2023.
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974:Independent.co.uk
907:978-1-78590-229-1
843:Independent.co.uk
749:. 4 November 2012
663:. 7 February 2008
389:978-1-78590-229-1
374:978-1-84954-756-7
229:homophobic threat
217:Household Cavalry
193:Council of Europe
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379:James Wharton;
364:James Wharton;
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300:Paul Gambaccini
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264:Park barracks.
252:Royal Air Force
233:Out in the Army
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177:Court of Appeal
153:Royal Air Force
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74:Notable works
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55:(age 37)
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978:. Retrieved
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225:Prince Harry
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161:naval rating
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1002:1987 births
948:. Pink News
721:Turnipnet's
565:12 November
304:Stephen Fry
205:Army Cadets
199:Army career
191:and of the
133:Forces News
996:Categories
980:20 January
952:20 January
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883:20 January
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614:15 January
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517:16 January
496:20 January
465:15 January
434:15 January
395:References
261:Iraq Medal
165:Royal Navy
139:Background
63:Occupation
49:1987-01-01
630:Stonewall
490:The Times
345:The Times
248:Gay Pride
209:Harrogate
173:Stonewall
281:Attitude
155:, and a
391:. 2017
376:. 2014
169:Liberty
107:and an
909:. 2017
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467:2019
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385:ISBN
370:ISBN
221:Iraq
171:and
159:and
109:LGBT
103:and
43:Born
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