President Biden Pardons Thousands of Dismissed LGBTQ+ Soldiers

American President Joe Biden has issued a pardon for LGBTQ+ soldiers who were discharged over a 60-year period due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In a proclamation on Wednesday, Biden described this as a “historical injustice” and pointed out that many of these individuals were court-martialed.

“As Commander in Chief, I am committed to maintaining the finest fighting force in the world. That means making sure that every member of our military feels safe and respected,” said the president.

He granted a “full, complete, and unconditional pardon to persons convicted of unaggravated offences based on consensual, private conduct with persons aged 18 and older” under military policy in force from 1951 to 2013.

The decision will restore benefits to potentially thousands of former service members who will be entitled to apply for the pardon.

Biden acknowledged that other LGBTQ+ soldiers who served in the military were convicted of other crimes due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, which his administration still intends to address.

In a statement, The Human Rights Campaign applauded Biden’s proclamation as a long-overdue act.

“This move to rightfully restore reputations lost and gratitude owed to service members who were punished for who they loved is long overdue and a significant step in the right direction,” commented HRC President Kelley Robinson.

“No LGBTQ+ veteran should be denied critical services such as military pensions, home loans, and college tuition benefits just because of who they are,” she said.

The organisation plans to work with the Departments of Defence and Veterans Affairs to ensure that every LGBTQ+ veteran impacted by discriminatory policies in years past gets the recognition, benefits, and services they deserve.

The ban on openly gay and lesbian service members in the US military was finally repealed by President Barack Obama in 2011.

Obama also repealed a ban on transgender personnel serving in the US military in 2016, but this was reversed by President Trump a year later. When he took office, President Biden in 2021 signed an executive order confirming that transgender soldiers were again welcome in the military.