Biden pardons US troops convicted in gay sex ban

Veterans charged under a former military law banning same-sex relations are pardoned

White House decorated for LGBTQ+ pride event
An estimated 2,000 former military personnel may now be eligible for withheld federal benefits
(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

What happened

President Joe Biden on Wednesday pardoned thousands of U.S. veterans convicted for consensual gay sex between 1951 and 2013, when sodomy was banned under military law. An estimated 2,000 former military personnel are eligible to have their dismissals upgraded to honorable discharges, opening the door to withheld federal benefits.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.