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States To Help LGBTQ Veterans Kicked Out Of Military

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Most of the discharged veterans still lack full benefits even after it has been a decade since the ban was lifted.

December 24, 2023
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Hubbardston, Massachusetts- Annie Reyes, a former Navy sailor, recalls her 2009 dismissal from the USS Bataan due to “homosexual conduct” under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, which she still finds painful to see in writing.

Likewise, so many people and veterans are denied full benefits which is ridiculous. Reyes and thousands of other LGBTQ veterans like her are still fighting to restore their dignity and get full access to veteran benefits such as home loans, health care, and tuition that were denied after less than honorable discharges more than a decade ago after Congress ended the military’s ban on gay service members.

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The officials reveal that around 100,000 service members since World War II were kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation including more than 1300 under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy.

Most of the valuable veterans benefits are administered by the federal government but states also extend financial and educational perks for military service.

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Montalto said, “It is lifesaving for veterans to have access to some of these programs, especially those who have experienced harm during their service, and to deny them access to these benefits, that’s a huge problem and something that we really need to fix”.

The Biden administration announced earlier this year that the military would for the first time be reviewing the discharge records to identify and help those who were kicked out and have not come forward since then.

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Several states have taken this matter into their own hands and are rectifying the injustice done to thousands of veterans who served in the previous years.

Massachusetts is planning to set up a board to make sure that any veteran who has served remains in line and receives the state benefits. But by doing so, the burden would be on the veterans to file a claim in Massachusetts.

Reyes regards this as positive and is optimistic that this small step would make things right for veterans.

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The content provided in this article draws inspiration and includes quotes from various reputable sources, including news articles, government data, and interviews. Affordable Housing 411 strives to ensure accuracy and credibility, but the information presented may be based on some external sources. We encourage readers to refer to the referenced materials for more in-depth insights and verification.

Dwyer Denvin and Herndon Sarah. “Pentagon, states begin new push to help LGBTQ veterans kicked out of military”. ABC News, December 24, 2023,
Pentagon, states begin new push to help LGBTQ veterans kicked out of military – ABC News

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Last Updated: September 20, 2021