Would it be possible to administratively give Veterans involuntarily discharged due to sexual orientation or gender identity regardless of length of service this same right to VA benefits? Thank you! This is a fantastic step. So not only have they had to deal with the trauma of these discriminatory policies as you so well explained, but then after the fact, they have not had and still do not have access to even VA mental healthcare to help deal with this trauma.
The same is true with educational benefits and the length of service requirements for these Veterans. I think it is only fair that there should be an exception made for Veterans discharged due to sexual orientation or gender identity in terms of the length of service required to access these VA benefits. Is it possible to create a similar exception administratively in time of service requirements for Veterans involuntarily discharged due to sexual orientation or gender identity?
I am a part of a small non-profit For All Vets that works on trying to help get these Veterans their benefits, and would love to talk to you about this if possible! I agree with you. The premise is as long as they do their job nothing else matters. It will never change, only get worse. If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with our caring, qualified responders for confidential help. Many of them are Veterans themselves. Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine. An official website of the U.
Department of Veterans Affairs. Looking for U. Visit USA. Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now. Search for:. S B September 26, at pm. Robert Alexander September 23, at pm. Hi, generally good news, but please consider: 1 Where approx. ES September 23, at pm. Does this apply to those who were discharged before DADT? Susan Smith September 23, at am. Aaron Tollman September 22, at pm.
J D Zeff September 22, at pm. Nick September 22, at pm. No Name September 22, at pm. SB September 26, at pm. Albertas Mikutes September 27, at pm. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies.
To learn more, please read our Privacy Policy. Accept More Information. The Continued Fight for Transgender Rights In July , President Trump sent a hateful tweet that transgender individuals would no longer be able to enter the military and those currently enlisted would not be allowed to continue in their roles. Love conquers hate. From that point on, gay men and women have been able to serve their country openly, honestly, and, for the first time, without punishment.
The transition to open service has proceeded smoothly over the past 12 months despite doomsday predictions by supporters of the gay ban. But no reputable study ever showed that allowing service by openly gay personnel compromises military effectiveness.
Moreover, they continued to make these claims even after the Pentagon released a comprehensive pre-repeal survey of service members revealing that the vast majority of troops were already serving with someone they knew to be gay or lesbian, and that doing so in no way threatened unit cohesion or military readiness.
They also made these assertions despite the fact that some of our closest foreign allies repealed their gay bans without any impact to unit cohesion or military readiness.
One year later it is clear that gay and lesbian troops were never a threat to military readiness, and this week the first academic study of the issue found that U.
One year later our armed forces are stronger thanks to the honorable service of openly gay men and women. Our military no longer turns away Americans willing to serve their country because of their sexual orientation.
And our military no longer squanders millions of taxpayer dollars to enforce a flawed policy that asked troops to lie about who they are. In short our country is better off today than it was one year ago when the ban on openly gay service continued to exist. Even in a post-DADT world, however, outdated laws and policies still prevent gay service members and their families from accessing the benefits afforded to their straight counterparts.
Last week the Palm Center—an academic research institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara—released the first comprehensive study of the effects of the DADT repeal on military readiness. To measure the impact of open service on military readiness, the authors of the study polled and interviewed active-duty service members, observed military units, and met with representatives from major organizations on both sides of the DADT debate over the past six months.
Nor has open service caused a jump in antigay violence. In fact some gay service members appear to feel better able to resolve disputes relating to their sexual orientation under the new policy. When Murphy became the first Iraq veteran elected to Congress in , he made the repeal of DADT a personal mission, taking over a repeal bill when its primary co-sponsor left Capitol Hill.
He said he got the vote of one holdout senior Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee by waiting until he saw the lawmaker sitting with former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. In May , the House of Representatives passed the repeal bill, to , with Democrats and nine Republicans in favor, and Republicans and 26 Democrats opposed.
The Senate passed the bill on Dec. Murphy, who later went on to serve as secretary of the Army under Obama, said he received death threats for his work on the DADT repeal. But he says any political hits he took because of the DADT repeal were worth it. Retired Army Col. Why do we care? He was told to meet with soldiers in small groups, with the chaplain present.
Jason urges patience if their attempts seem slow or clumsy. For Lt. Bree Fram, an active duty astronautical engineer in the Air Force who is trans, the repeal of DADT paved the way for future reform, even as it focused on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. In June , the Department of Defense announced it was lifting the ban on transgender troops serving openly.
Fram came out to her colleagues the day the policy was announced. It allowed her to be honest about a part of her life which, besides her wife and children, she had concealed from almost everyone, save a few people.
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