Armed forces ranked among top employers of gay people

More gay people with security clearance may consider a career in the armed forces, after both the RAF and the Navy featured on a list of Britain's most gay-friendly employers.

The RAF was ranked 56th on gay rights charity Stonewall's list of the 100 top employers of lesbian, gay and bisexual workers for 2012, up from 97th position last year and continuing its rise since first participating in this benchmarking exercise back in 2007.

Moreover, the Royal Navy also entered the top 100 of the Workplace Equality Index (WEI) for the first time, coming 77th, which the service says reflects its implementation of and participation in several workplace diversity initiatives.

Commodore Rupert Wallace, the Navy's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual diversity champion, said its inclusion in this list "shows a strong and clear message...that the Navy is an inclusive employer and that we are committed to embracing diversity and inclusion amongst our workforce".

A career in the civil service may also appeal more to security cleared gay workers, with the Home Office coming second in the WEI, while the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Audit Office also made the top 50.