Joe Biden
– Photo: ANI
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US President Joe Biden on Wednesday pardoned former US military personnel who were convicted of having homosexual sex under military laws. Homosexual sex was declared illegal in the US military for the last 60 years. Biden pardoned two thousand people who were convicted of homosexual relations between 1951 and 2013 under military laws.
‘Patriotic Americans have suffered injustice for decades’
President Biden said in a statement, “Today, I am correcting a historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon several former service members who were convicted simply because of their identity. Despite their courage and great sacrifice, thousands of gay soldiers were forced out of the military because of their gender identity. Some of these patriotic Americans faced court-martial and carried the burden of this injustice for decades.”
‘Historical mistake corrected’
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the move as a step towards ‘correcting a historic wrong’ and said that every member of the US military deserves to feel safe and respected. Under Article 125 of the US military’s ‘Uniform Code of Military Justice’, it was a crime to have ‘unnatural sexual relations with another person of the same or opposite sex’ even with mutual consent. According to US media reports, in 2013, Congress voted to repeal that part of the law, which declared consensual homosexual relations illegal.
During his presidency, Joe Biden has used his pardon powers primarily to pardon non-violent drug offenders. Biden said in his statement that ‘Wednesday’s announcement was about dignity, decency, and ensuring that the culture of our armed forces reflects the values that make us an exceptional nation.’