Pentagon changes discharges for 800-plus vets kicked out for being gay

[Jessica_Rose]

Pentagon changes discharges for 800-plus vets kicked out for being gay

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pentagon-changes-discharges-for-800-plus-vets-kicked-out-for-being-gay/ar-AA1sjjIr?ocid=windirect&cvid=c6a42f0933114a6eb5cda9ac0b2e5cf1&ei=20

Story by Leo Shane III (15 Oct 2024)

About 820 veterans previously kicked out of the military for their sexual orientation will have their dismissals upgraded to honorable discharges following a year-long review of their service records.

The upgrades were announced Tuesday morning by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said the effort was undertaken "to redress the harms done by 'don't ask, don't tell' and other policies on these former service members."

The review was prompted by complaints among veterans that the process for upgrading discharge status was overly complicated and adversarial.

The changes mean that those veterans for the first time will be able to access certain VA education, health and financial benefits, a potential windfall for them and their families.

The military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy was put in place in 1993 as a compromise to allow some level of military service for gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals. But advocates said the policy was enforced erratically and discriminatorily, and forced those troops to keep secrets about their personal lives from friends and commanders, to the detriment of unit cohesiveness.

Nearly 13,500 service members were forced out of the military under the policy, according to Defense Department records.

[Lori Dee]

Thank you, Jessica!