Military veterans discharged without honors because of their sexuality, gender identity, or HIV status can still collect benefits from the federal government, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Monday.
The U.S. military expelled an estimated 14,000 soldiers under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy enacted in 1994 during the Clinton administration. The government did not discharge them honorably, blocking them from VA healthcare benefits, pensions, and other privileges. The military did not even consider them to be “veterans.”
“Under this newly-issued guidance, VA adjudicators shall find that all discharged service members whose separation was due to sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status are considered ‘Veterans’ who may be eligible for VA benefits,” VA assistant secretary Kayla Williams — a bisexual veteran — said in a statement.
“LGBTQ+ Veterans are not any less worthy of the care and services that all Veterans earn through their service, and VA is committed to making sure that they have equal access to those services,” she continued.
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was considered a “compromise” from policy dating back to World War II that allowed the military to ask about servicemembers’ sexuality.
The agency described the move as a “clarification” and not a change in the law. Williams noted that soldiers discharged under the “previous homophobic and transphobic” policies had been statutorily eligible for benefits. However, this clarification “reiterates what constitutes eligibility for benefits.” Many of those discharged have not applied for an upgrade to their status, believing the process would be cumbersome.
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“Although VA recognizes that the trauma caused by the military’s decades-long policy of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people cannot be undone in a few short months,” the statement read, “The Biden administration and Secretary McDonough are taking the steps necessary to begin addressing the pain that such policies have created.”
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