Joe Biden has moved to correct a “great injustice” by pardoning thousands of US veterans convicted over six decades under a military law that banned gay sex.

The presidential proclamation, which comes during Pride month and an election year, allows LGBTQ+ service members convicted of crimes based solely on their sexual orientation to apply for a certificate of pardon that will help them receive withheld benefits.

It grants clemency to service members convicted under Uniform Code of Military Justice article 125 – which criminalised sodomy, including between consenting adults – between 1951 and 2013, when it was rewritten by Congress.

That includes victims of the 1950s “lavender scare”, a witch-hunt in which many LGBTQ+ people employed by the federal government were viewed as security risks amid fears their sexual orientation made them vulnerable to blackmail. Thousands were investigated and fired or denied employment.

  • DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    5 months ago

    Great job, Democrats. He’s was VP for 8 years while Obama was president. Didn’t do it then. And now you do this at the end of Biden’s 4 years and he’s dropping in polls to Felon Donny. Sure, we’ll forget all about the workers’ rights being trampled and the genocide in Gaza.

    We have such great choices. A Douche and Turd.

    • phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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      5 months ago

      Yeah, and you’re going to vote for the douche, unless you want the orange turd to change your country in an autocratic dictatorship.

      You might want to read into how politics works. Biden condens Israel and promptly will lose the next election because Israel has quite the influence in the Jewish population. He loses the election, trump will win andy dear DAMunzy, if you think Palestinians have it bad now, wait until orange dictator comes to power. I believe his words were along the lines of “total eradication”.

      Biden has done a large number of great things, which I never hear people talk about. I do hear talks about situations where there is no good outcome,.damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

      What would you have done? Condemn Israel, take away all their money? That would totally not backfire about 6 months from now… Carefully mention to Israel to behave? I’ve seen Biden do that, for all the good it did… So do whstz exactly?

    • citrusface@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Your doom and gloom rhetoric helps nothing and makes conversation with you seem very unappealing.