Thousands of U.S. veterans, convicted of having gay sex, were pardoned by President Joe Biden.
It’s a huge victory for service members who were convicted in a military court of sodomy. From 1951 to 2013, the Pentagon criminalized consensual gay sex as “unnatural carnal copulation” in the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“Despite courage and sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQI+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Biden said in a statement issued June 26. “I’m using my clemency authority to pardon certain former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves.”
Receiving a certified pardon clears the way for service members to petition for a correction to their discharge status and restore financial benefits withheld by the government.
Modern Military Association of America, the nation’s largest organization of LGBTQ+ service members, military spouses, veterans and their families, called Biden’s decision, “a pivotal step” towards an armed services culture of equality, justice and respect for all individuals.
“It is a step towards healing and reconciliation, ensuring that all service members are treated with the respect and recognition they deserve,” the group said in a statement.
In 1993, former President Bill Clinton signed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prohibited the military from asking about a service member’s sexual orientation. That policy was repealed in 2011.
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