Joe.My.God. LGBT News
CNN reports:
President Joe Biden is expected to pardon US veterans who were convicted by the military over a 60-year period under a military law that banned gay sex, three US officials told CNN.
The pardon proclamation is expected to be announced on Wednesday and one official said it is set to affect roughly 2,000 people. The granting of pardons won’t automatically change convicted veterans’ records but allows those impacted to apply for a certificate of pardon that will help them receive withheld benefits.
The pardon, which CNN is first to report on, specifically grants clemency to service members who were convicted under former Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 125 — which criminalized sodomy, including between consenting adults — between 1951 and 2013 when it was rewritten by Congress. It also applies to those who were convicted of attempting to commit those offenses.
Read the full article. In a related action, last week a group of LGBTQ veterans advanced their lawsuit seeking the expungement of their dishonorable discharges for being gay. Those veterans say that the discharges continue to impact their professional and personal lives.
News: President Biden is expected to pardon US veterans who were convicted by the military over a 60-year period under a military law that banned gay sex, 3 US officials told CNN. As many as 2k people could be affected. with @halbritz @OrenCNN https://t.co/IhIK3ZMdll
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) June 25, 2024