NORFOLK, VA (WVEC) — The Defense Department’s old Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy barring openly gay, lesbian or bisexual people from military service was repealed by President Barrack Obama in 2010.
Under it, more than 13,000 military members got kicked out.
In many instances, they received less than honorable discharges, which can interfere with their benefits such as VA loan programs, college tuition assistance, health care as well as eligibility for some jobs.
This week, the Pentagon reached a settlement in a federal civil rights lawsuit. Discharged veterans can now be re-issued paperwork that eliminates any reference to their sexuality.
If they were denied an honorable discharge, they will also be eligible for an immediate upgrade review.
Military law attorney and Tully Rinckey Managing Partner Anthony Kuhn believes up to 30,000 LGBTQ veterans could potentially benefit from the settlement, which he calls “a great outcome.”
“Everybody bleeds red. We’re all on the same team. Things like Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, there’s really no place in the military for it,” he said in an interview Friday with 13News Now.
Kuhn continued: “Some of them went to war, so they put themselves in a position to serve their country and potentially give the ultimate sacrifice. And then to be pushed out and stigmatized over something so trivial, it will be nice to see those individuals get the credit that they deserve and have those negative connotations removed from their service.”
The settlement still must receive approval from a federal judge.
