The United States Pentagon has agreed to end a lawsuit that has lasted more than a decade, settling the class action lawsuit with tens of thousands of veterans.
The case and subsequent settlement involved 35,000 LGBTQ+ veterans who have said their access to benefits was affected by the Pentagon’s previous policy to ban gay troops.
Lilly Steffanides, one of the plaintiffs in the case and a US Navy veteran, shared with NPR that the settlement means more than just fixing past records.
“This settlement is not just about correcting records; it’s about restoring the honor and pride that LGBTQ+ veterans have always deserved but were denied,” Steffanides said. “I hope this brings justice to others who served with courage only to face exclusion and discrimination.”
The ban was first put into place in 1993 during the Clinton administration and earned the infamous moniker of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The policy was in place for almost two decades before the ban was ended in 2011 during the Obama administration.
The Pentagon has said that allowing gay and lesbian troops into the military has had no effect on how units operate or their combat preparedness.
However, even with the policy ending in 2011, plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued that the lingering stigma and red tape has kept many veterans from applying to upgrade their military discharge status, allowing them to receive benefits.
If a member of the military was discovered to be homosexual during the time of the ban, they could face being “other-than honorably” discharged, meaning they don’t have automatic access to VA benefits or health care.
In October, the Pentagon said it was going to hold a proactive review of its discharges while the policy was in place, though Monday’s settlement will accelerate the process once approved by California’s Northern District Court.
The settlement will allow veterans to have their records reviewed by large groups, giving access to VA benefits and Honorable Discharge papers as soon as this summer.
“This proposed settlement delivers long-overdue justice to LGBTQ+ veterans who served our country with honor but were stripped of the dignity and recognition they rightfully earned due to discriminatory discharge policies. It marks a crucial step in addressing this deep-seated injustice and ensuring these veterans receive the acknowledgment and respect they have long been denied,” Jocelyn Larkin, an attorney on the plaintiffs’ legal team, shared in a statement.