Pentagon grants ousted LGBTQ vets full benefits
The new ruling will apply to more than 820 LGBTQ veterans
What happened
The Pentagon said Tuesday that more than 820 LGBTQ veterans kicked out of the military under the now-defunct "don't ask, don't tell" policy had been upgraded to honorable discharges following a yearlong review ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. About 96% of the roughly 13,500 service members affected by the policy, in place from 1994 to 2011, have now received honorable discharges, the Defense Department said.
Who said what
The U.S. military "will continue to honor the service and the sacrifice of all our troops — including the brave Americans who raised their hands to serve but were turned away because of whom they love," Austin said in a statement.
"Don't ask, don't tell" was former President Bill Clinton's compromise fix for "nearly eight decades of discrimination against LGBTQ members of the armed forces," The Washington Post said. "Up to that point, more than 100,000 people had been kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation," and Clinton's policy meant gay people could serve, "but only if they kept their sexuality a secret."
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What next?
Veterans Affairs Department spokesperson Terrence Hayes said the government is contacting the veterans upgraded to honorable discharges and "will work with each individual to ensure they are getting the full suite of health care and benefits they deserve." The Pentagon has "no formal plans to look into additional cases," The New York Times said, but officials said "anyone who was discharged because of their sexual orientation was still eligible to apply for a review to potentially have their status upgraded."
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