Joe Biden has moved to correct a “great injustice” by pardoning thousands of US veterans convicted over six decades under a military law that banned gay sex.
The presidential proclamation, which comes during Pride month and an election year, allows LGBTQ+ service members convicted of crimes based solely on their sexual orientation to apply for a certificate of pardon that will help them receive withheld benefits.
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It grants clemency to service members convicted under Uniform Code of Military Justice article 125 – which criminalised sodomy, including between consenting adults – between 1951 and 2013, when it was rewritten by Congress.
That includes victims of the 1950s “lavender scare”, a witch-hunt in which many LGBTQ+ people employed by the federal government were viewed as security risks amid fears their sexual orientation made them vulnerable to blackmail. Thousands were investigated and fired or denied employment.
i feel like it’s worse if you do remember it or don’t take it for granted; because those who never got experience it refuse to believe it ever happened. (and i’ve run into a few on lemmyverse in the last few days who are old enough to remember but still refuse to believe it).
biden et. al voted for doma which ended up with the person i built a life with being deported and also they also voted for non-dischargable student load debt; that combined with don’t-ask/don’t-tell; forced me to take on permanent-for-life debt.
seeing him touted as the most pro-lgbt or progressive president ever on social media (especially the lemmyverse) feels like a slap every time i see it and seeing him take these token actions only serves to reinforce it.