Joe Biden will pardon thousands of veterans convicted of having gay sex

President Joe Biden announced he will pardon thousands of gay veterans convicted under a now-repealed military law that banned gay sex.

Biden said he was “righting a historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves,” calling the law “a great injustice.”

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Thousands of veterans are having a hard time clearing their names after they were discharged for being gay.

This act of clemency means that thousands of military personnel who were convicted over six decades for engaging in consensual sexual intercourse with someone of the same sex would be able to apply for a certificate of pardon that would help them gain access to benefits that were previously withheld.

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The previous law was the Uniform Code of Military Justice article 125, which made sodomy a crime. Article 125 was on the books from 1951 to 2013, when it was rewritten by Congress to only apply to forcible acts. The change came three years after Congress repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Clinton-era law that said that LGBTQ+ individuals were allowed in the military under the condition they did not discuss or even reveal their sexuality.

The Guardian reports that a National Security Council official told media: “Important to note that the president has been instrumental in remedying this historical injustice through action. Even dating back to his role as vice president, President Biden played a key role during the Obama-Biden administration to effectuate the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'”

The announcement comes during the midst of Pride Month (and an election year). Out White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently highlighted actions the administration has taken to protect the LGBTQ+ community while slamming the GOP’s anti-trans attacks. Some of these actions include introducing new Title IX and VII rules, which created protection against discrimination for trans and nonbinary students in schools and workplaces, and launching a national suicide and crisis lifeline, which includes a line specifically for LGBTQ+ youth.

“Despite their courage and great sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQ+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Some of these patriotic Americans were subject to court-martial and have carried the burden of this great injustice for decades,” Biden said in a statement.

“We have a sacred obligation to all of our service members – including our brave LGBTQI+ service members: to properly prepare and equip them when they are sent into harm’s way, and to care for them and their families when they return home. Today we are making progress in that pursuit,” he added.

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