A piece of Royal Navy history is making waves in more ways than one at this year’s Southampton International Boat Show.
Landing Craft Foxtrot 8 (F8), a veteran of the Falklands War, has become the first vessel in British history to be wrapped in the rainbow colours of Pride. The striking transformation, organised by Portsmouth Historic Quarter in collaboration with the charity Fighting with Pride, marks 25 years since the ban on gay people serving in the UK armed forces was lifted.
Normally docked at the Portsmouth Historic Quarter and now centre stage at the boat show from 19 to 28 September, F8 is more than just a museum piece. Members of the public will have the rare chance not only to view but also to take trips aboard the craft, which played a significant role in the Falklands conflict over four decades ago. Tickets are £20 per person.
The Pride wrap is part of a wider effort to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the end of the so-called “gay ban”—a policy that saw LGBTQ+ service members face dishonourable discharge, loss of medals, surveillance and interrogation until its repeal in January 2000. The project also coincides with Portsmouth’s hosting of UK Pride next June.
For many, the transformation of F8 is deeply personal. Roly Woods, a former sub-lieutenant who served on HMS Leeds Castle during the Falklands War, recalls the stigma he faced: “My captain accepted it and I got away with it, but it was an extremely difficult situation to deal with both professionally and personally and I wrestled with it for many years.” Woods, now memorial officer for Fighting with Pride, believes the unveiling is a “celebration of real progress for the LGBTQ+ community in the armed forces, and it is an extremely proud moment for both LGBTQ+ veterans and for those serving today.”
Not all who enforced the ban did so willingly. Gavin Moulds, a former master at arms and volunteer at Portsmouth Historic Quarter, served in the Royal Navy’s Special Investigation Branch during the 1990s. “The ban, the way it was enforced, and to the level it was enforced, was never something I agreed with,” Moulds said. “However, I cannot help but still feel a degree of guilt for my involvement—an apology would not be enough.”
In December 2024, the Ministry of Defence launched the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme, which allows those affected by the ban between 1967 and 2000 to apply for compensation of up to £50,000. Woods estimates that hundreds of LGBTQ+ veterans have yet to come forward, either to claim redress or to have their medals returned.
For now, Foxtrot 8 stands as a floating testament to changing times: a veteran of war, now a symbol of inclusion and acceptance. Visitors to the Southampton International Boat Show can see—and sail on—a craft that once crossed stormy seas for its country and now flies the rainbow flag for equality.
