Biden to Pardon US Service Members Convicted Because They Were Gay
- Action would allow LGBTQ service members to apply for back pay
- Biden has also used mass amnesty for simple marijuana offenses
It’s unclear how many veterans would be eligible for Biden’s amnesty.
Photographer: Nathan Howard/BloombergPresident Joe Biden will issue a proclamation giving mass clemency to US service members convicted of charges under a Cold War-era purge of gay and lesbian people, reversing a decades-long policy of discrimination that forced an estimated 100,000 people from the military.
The pardons will be effective with the signing of the proclamation Wednesday, but individual veterans would need to apply to the Department of Defense for a certificate confirming the decision, according to administration officials familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail them.