Pentagon upgrades discharge status for over 800 LGBTQ+ veterans

[Lauren Taylor]

THE PENTAGON ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THAT MORE THAN 800 VETERANS DISCHARGED UNDER THE “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY DUE TO THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION WILL HAVE THEIR DISCHARGE STATUS UPGRADED TO HONORABLE. THIS DECISION COMES AFTER A YEAR-LONG REVIEW OF 851 CASES, WITH 96.8% OF VETERANS RECEIVING AUTOMATIC UPGRADES, BYPASSING THE FORMAL APPLICATION PROCESS.

THIS CHANGE RESTORES ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL BENEFITS SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, VA LOANS, AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DENIED TO THESE VETERANS.

THE “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY, ENACTED IN 1993 UNDER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON, ALLOWED GAY AND LESBIAN INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY AS LONG AS THEY DID NOT DISCLOSE THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. BETWEEN 1994 AND 2011, ROUGHLY 13,500 SERVICE MEMBERS WERE DISCHARGED UNDER DADT, WITH NEARLY 2,000 RECEIVING LESS-THAN-HONORABLE DISCHARGES, LIMITING THEIR ACCESS TO VETERAN BENEFITS.

WHILE THE REPEAL OF DADT IN 2011 UNDER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ALLOWED MANY VETERANS TO APPEAL FOR DISCHARGE UPGRADES, OTHERS FACED OBSTACLES OR WERE UNAWARE OF THEIR RIGHTS.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN SAID 96% OF VETERANS AFFECTED BY THE POLICY, WHO SERVED LONG ENOUGH TO EARN A MERIT-BASED CHARACTERIZATION, NOW HAVE HONORABLE DISCHARGES. THE PENTAGON IS ACTIVELY NOTIFYING THESE VETERANS AND PROVIDING GUIDANCE ON HOW TO OBTAIN UPDATED DISCHARGE DOCUMENTATION.

ALTHOUGH THE CURRENT REVIEW HAS CONCLUDED, THE PENTAGON ENCOURAGES VETERANS DISCHARGED UNDER EARLIER POLICIES THAT BARRED LGBTQ SERVICE, OR THOSE WHO BELIEVE THEIR MILITARY RECORDS CONTAIN ERRORS, TO APPLY FOR CORRECTIONS THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE REVIEW BOARDS.

FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED — STRAIGHT FACTS REPORTING — DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.