James Wharton

Out In The Army

My Life As A Gay Soldier

Author James Wharton was one of the first 'out' soldiers in the armed forces and was the first openly gay person to appear on the front cover of Soldier magazine, the British Army's official publication.

This week his national Book Tour brought him to Manchester.

Out in the Army (published 17 June 2013, Biteback Publishing) looks at his amazing career as he joins the Army and learns to deal with his sexuality in a sometimes hostile environment prior to coming to terms with it and, in turn, helping the army itself come to terms with homosexuality.

Wharton’s experiences in the army form the bedrock to this astonishing tale, from serving in Southern Iraq and with Prince Harry in Canada, to being hospitalized in a homophobic beating, to helping at the 7/7 bombings and serving at the Royal Wedding. By being one of the first highly visible ‘out’ soldiers James has helped the armed services to begin to address its institutionalized homophobia.

James is delighted to be writing the book with Biteback. Hoping it serves as a source of inspiration and shows how a traditional organisation like the British Army can be forward moving and accepting of diversity.

For more information.Please visit here.

Published: 4-Jul-2013: (1974)