Gay military personnel thrown out of the U.K.’s armed services are set to receive up to £70,000 (around $89,000) in compensation for what the Labour government’s defense minister called “a moral stain on our nation.”

Thousands of British military personnel were discharged between 1967 and 2000 because of the military’s anti-gay policy. The ban on gay service members saw soldiers jailed, stripped of their medals, and denied their pensions.

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Defense Secretary John Healey said his government was determined to “right the wrongs of the past and recognize the hurt that too many endured.”  

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An estimated 200 to 250 gay service members were discharged each year over the life of the ban. Exact figures aren’t known because proper records weren’t retained.

The £75 million compensation fund will be formally introduced by Healey as he leads the debate on the issue on Thursday in the House of Commons. LGBTQ+ vets have been invited to attend in the public gallery.

An independent review commissioned last year found evidence of dozens of cases of homophobia, victimization, mistreatment, and intrusive investigations, The Guardian reports.

One former member of the Royal Navy admitted having sex with another man while on leave to avoid being blackmailed. He said after the admission, he was “dragged from my bed” by naval police the next morning and “humiliated by being marched off of the ship in front of the entire ship’s company.”

The man was detained at a naval installation for months without legal representation, made to do “degrading menial tasks,” and in the end court-martialed based on violating the age of consent at the time. His partner was 19.

The discharge “led to my parents disowning me, along with the rest of my family,” depression, and “long self-destructive behavior,” including alcoholism, because “I had what I thought would be a confidential conversation with my divisional officer confessing a sexual experience I had had whilst on leave.”

Vets dismissed because of the ban will be eligible for a flat payment of £50,000. Further payments worth up to £20,000 will be based on the severity of their treatment at the time. They’ll also be eligible for restoration of their rank and the reason for discharge amended.

In the Defense Ministry’s announcement of the plan, Healy said, “We have listened to veterans.”  

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