Nearly all US service members who were forcibly separated from the military when the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was in place have now been honorably discharged, defense department officials announced on Tuesday.
The “don’t ask, don’t tell policy, which went into effect on 28 February 1994 during then president Bill Clinton’s administration, barred service members from being openly gay, lesbian or bisexual – otherwise legally defined as those with “a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts”. Under the policy, other service members were also not allowed to ask each other about their sexual orientation.
Clinton implemented the policy as a loophole to allow LGBTQ+ Americans, who historically were prevented from joining the military, to serve. Still, many LGBTQ+ service members were found out and speedily discharged.
The US Department of Defense estimates more than 13,000 service members were separated from the military under the policy. Of those, nearly 2,000 were separated with a less than fully honorable designation.
Groups like Human Rights Watch called the policy “discrimination in its purest form”.
The policy was later repealed on 20 September 2011 by then president Barack Obama, a follow-through on a key plank of his campaign.
“Gay and lesbian Americans now no longer need to hide who they love in order to serve the country they love,” Obama said in a statement in 2012, on the first anniversary of the policy getting repealed.
“It is a testament to the professionalism of our men and women in uniform that this change was implemented in an orderly manner, preserving unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness.”
Now, more than 96% of those administratively separated under DADT with a merit-based characterization of service have an honorable characterization of service.
“We’re encouraging anyone who still believes that there is something in their military record that is an error or an injustice – in particular, service members who might have been impacted by records that predate Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell who were separated for their sexual orientation – to come forward and request relief through the boards,” said Christa Specht, director of legal policy at the Pentagon’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in a statement.
“They have a high chance of success.”
The change in designation will result in additional veteran benefits for these service members and their families, some of which include healthcare, tuition assistance, home loans and a military burial upon death.
