President corrects ‘great injustice’ with clemency for military personnel ‘convicted simply for being themselves’

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.

  • eldavi
    52·
    6 months ago

    i was also going to point out biden’s 100% tariffs on electric vehicles contradicts climate initiatives; supporting trump’s immigration policies (as you just did); etc. and i want to say it’s nice to hear someone else splash a dose of reality into the conversation.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      42·
      6 months ago

      The only way I could get behind his Chinese tariffs is if he unleashed a DARPA moonshot on batteries and open sourced the resulting technology. But no he dived straight for protectionism and letting the traditional companies sell us cars at double the size and triple the price the market should be at.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
        25·
        6 months ago

        So you think we should be in full support of trade with China? Even with their ongoing genocide, threats to the Philippines and Thailand, and active surveillance systems in the US?

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
          52·
          6 months ago

          I gave a legal and internationally safe alternative and you went straight to, “full support of China”. Come on dude. At least try and engage in good faith.

          So here’s a couple ideas you might like better, I guess. We tell the CIA we want those specs; or we buy a hundred for a rip and rebuild and open source the results. Give them the Russian tank/plane treatment.

          • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
            23·
            6 months ago

            I wrote “full support of trade with China.” People are protesting for divestment from Israel over genocide in tents they bought from China. I’m just saying it’s hypocritical.