Gay Trooper Ben Rakestrow is out in Afghanistan

I saw this story first on the BBC news newspaper review yesterday morning, and found myself intrigued that a story of one of the Army's finest who has come out to his fellow troops was being covered by a red top newspaper in a positive way.

So, firstly ten out of ten to The Sun. (I really never thought I would hear myself ever say that!)

But it does prove that finally gay people are being accepted, accepted that our sexuality does not change how we do our job, bizarrely we don't all jump on every person we see of the same sex!

Secondly, this also proves that our Armed Forces are also starting to grow up and become a little more all encompassing on the "gay" issue. It is similar to when they accepted (finally) that women were going to go out onto the frontline and the initial response from the top brass was where would they sleep?

Well, I have always found a bed is good for sleeping on. Seriously though, I get where they were coming from but it was they who were creating the problems. Like gay men and women coming out in the Armed Forces it will always take a little time for people to adapt, the banter to die down and I am sure Ben Rakestrow has had his fill of shower jokes etc, it isn't homophobic as some may say, it is the banter of life in our armed forces.
















Ben Rakestrow serves with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment and is back from Afghanistan where he was in the same convoy as Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe when the commanding officer was killed in an explosion.

Ben, like every other man or woman, straight or gay in our armed forces is a hero in my eyes.

Ben is only 21 and my only concern about this whole episode is his choice of duvet cover, come on Ben, Zac Efron? Get a grip mate :-)