California passes legislation to assist LGBTQ military veterans

• “Don’t ask, don’t tell” led to dismissal of more than 100,000 service members, officials say.
• 14,000 of those were dismissed because of their sexual or gender identities.
• A new law in California will help those who were discharged reestablish eligibility for benefits.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that a new law will assist military service members who were discharged under “don’t ask, don’t tell” policies because of their sexual or gender identities in reestablishing their eligibility for Veterans Affairs benefits.

“For decades, our bravest heroes, men and women who wore the uniforms of the armed services, had to hide who they really were, and many were discharged other than honourably if their sexuality was discovered,” Newsom said in a statement after signing the bill.

Gays and lesbians were barred from serving in the military until the 1993 passage of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which allowed them to serve only if they did not openly admit to their sexual orientation. Advocates claim that rather than assisting, the policy exacerbated the situation. In its entire history, the military has dismissed over 100,000 service members because of their sexual or gender identities, 14,000 of whom were during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

The law was repealed in late 2010 by Congress and then-President Barack Obama, and it went into effect nine months later, allowing lesbian, gay, and bisexual people to serve openly.

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Following that, the Department of Defense established a path for veterans discharged under the policy to receive the full range of veterans’ benefits.

“However, many veterans sadly are unaware of or are unable to access this critical process,” Newsom said, adding that some veterans attempting to reclaim benefits have had to hire costly legal counsel and other assistance to navigate the process. “We’re working to resolve this.”

The law requires the California Department of Veteran Affairs to establish the Veterans Discharge Upgrade Grant Program to assist LGBTQ veterans who were discharged under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, as well as to assist those who qualify in updating and correcting their records and accessing veterans’ benefits.

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