Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA) has called on the Pentagon to take action regarding veterans who were discharged under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy.

In a recent letter, Garcia emphasized the ongoing impact of this policy: “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was a policy that should have never existed in the first place, but we’re unfortunately still feeling the repercussions of it to this day,” he stated in a press release. He underscored the Defense Department’s duty to support LGBTQ+ veterans affected by this policy.

Garcia, along with Congressional Equality Caucus members Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), addressed the letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The letter highlights that a considerable number of veterans discharged under the “Homosexual Conduct” policy, which predated DADT, did not receive honorable discharges. The letter said, “Advocates and historians have estimated that since World War II until repeal, some 114,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines were discharged because of who they loved – many with less than honorable discharges.”

The lawmakers sought detailed information from the Defense Department, including any legal limitations hindering the review of records or the upgrading of discharges to honorable status. They also requested data on the total applications received to correct records under DADT or similar policies.