James Wharton (author)
James Wharton is the author of Out in the Army: My Life as a Gay Soldier and Something for the Weekend': Life in the Chemsex Underworld and an LGBT activist. Wharton was born in Wrexham on the first of January 1987, and grew up in the nearby village of Gwersyllt. In 2009, he garnered attention by featuring on the cover of Soldier Magazine – the official monthly publication of the British Army – as an openly gay trooper in the Blues and Royals. Wharton came out as gay to his regiment in 2005, aged 18 and just six years after the army's discrimination against gay people was declared a breach of human rights by the European Court of Human Rights. Before 2000, Wharton could have been court-martialled.
James Ronald Wharton | |
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James Wharton in 2013 | |
| Born | 1 January 1987 Wrexham, Wales |
| Occupation | Author, LGBT activist, former Lance Corporal Blues and Royals |
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Wharton left the army in 2013 after ten years' service and in 2014, he was granted the Freedom of the City of London for his work as a prominent LGBT activist. Following working in public relations and for the LGBT-specialist insurance company Emerald Life, Wharton was the Wellbeing Services Manager at Birmingham LGBT until September 2019. As of 2023, Wharton is a reporter working for Forces News.