U.S. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation Wednesday that would pardon eligible military veterans convicted for consensual gay sex, which was illegal in the military prior to 2013.
The Biden administration believes that the pardon will affect thousands of former service members. Those who are eligible can request proof that their conviction was eradicated, get their discharge status changed and access benefits not received because of their conviction.
“Despite their courage and great sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQI+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Biden said in his proclamation.
Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice declared sodomy to be illegal. The law, which had been in place since 1951, was altered in 2013 to criminalize only forcible acts.
The president described veterans reprimanded under the law as having been “wrongfully convicted,” in a statement.
“Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves,” Biden said. “This is about dignity, decency and ensuring the culture of our armed forces reflect the values that make us an exceptional nation.”
Most convictions under the former law took place prior to the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that was being adopted into the military, which made it so a person's sexual orientation wasn’t known unless disclosed by the individual themselves. That was also repealed by Congress in 2011, and LGBTQ+ people were allowed to serve openly.
Previously, Biden had ordered the Department of Veterans to issue benefits to veterans dishonorably discharged due to things such as HIV status and gender identity.
The proclamation comes at the end of Pride Month and days before the president is set to hold a fundraiser with LGBTQ+ donors.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press.
