Monday marked a significant victory for tens of thousands of LGBTQ military veterans. The Pentagon announced it will upgrade the discharge records of 35,000 veterans to “honorable,” effectively bringing an end to a class action lawsuit filed over a year ago by veterans who were dishonorably discharged due to their sexual orientation under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies.

Lily Steffanides, one of the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in 2023, had been advocating for the military to “systematically upgrade discharges” for those who were kicked out because of their sexual orientation. “I feel like some shackles just came off of me,” Steffanides expressed. “I feel like I’ve been shackled to this discharge for 30 years.”

For decades, the discharge records of thousands of LGBTQ veterans were marked as “other than honorable,” a designation that denied them access to veterans’ benefits. With this decision, the Pentagon has committed to reversing this injustice by systematically upgrading these records to “honorable,” ensuring that these veterans are finally able to receive the benefits they rightfully deserve.

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