Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on Wednesday called on gay and lesbian veterans who received a less-than-honorable discharge under the old ban on gays serving openly in the military to have their records corrected to reflect they served honorably.
Speaking at a Pentagon event recognizing the service of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military members and Defense Department civilians, Mabus said the Navy can change their service record.
“If you were discharged under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ come in,” Mabus said. “The Board of Corrections of Naval Records will take a look at changing that discharge characterization.”
Mabus noted that just five years ago, when the ban on gays serving openly was still in effect, an event like Wednesday’s LGBT Pride Day at the Pentagon would not have been possible.
“There were those in uniform, on the Hill, and in the American public, who favored continuation of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. That policy required LGBT service members to lie and hide in order to serve.”
Mabus acknowledged that the Pentagon’s new policy on transgender troops is not yet complete, saying there is still work to be done to make “policy match reality,” history has shown it’s the right thing to do.
“Every time those changes were proposed, every time, there were naysayers saying the force would be weakened and unit morale would decrease. And yet the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and the Coast Guard are the most powerful forces in the world today,” Mabus said.
