Pentagon working to restore benefits to LGBTQ+ veterans forced out under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

By TARA COPP
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is beginning a new effort to contact former service members who may have been forced out of the military and deprived of years of benefits due to policies targeting their sexual orientation, starting with those who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Under that policy, service members who had other than heterosexual orientation could serve — as long as they kept it quiet. That led to years of discrimination, undue pressure, discharges and lost benefits. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks says “correcting these records cannot fully restore the dignity taken from LGBTQ+ service members … but this is yet another step we’re taking to make sure we do right by those who served honorably.”