Hundreds of veterans receiving honorable discharges after ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ review

The Defense Department has issued honorable discharges to about 800 service members who were separated from the military during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that was repealed in 2011.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the Military Department Review Boards have issued honorable discharges in nearly 97 percent of 851 cases they reviewed.

Austin said he will “continue to strive to do right by every American patriot who has honorably served their country.”

“We will continue to honor the service and the sacrifice of all our troops—including the brave Americans who raised their hands to serve but were turned away because of whom they love,” he said.

The Pentagon launched a review in September 2023 of the military records of LGBTQ service members who were discharged with a less-than-honorable status and also encouraged other veterans to correct their records.

Under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, first enacted in the Clinton administration, LGBTQ service members could serve their country so long as they didn’t make their sexual orientation or gender identity public.

Thousands of veterans were kicked out of the service and discharged without an honorable distinction for their identities before the policy was repealed.