Murphy, Gillibrand, Schatz, Seek Justice for Service Members

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai"i) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in introducing the Restore Honor to Service Members Act, legislation that will help service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation correct their military records to reflect their honorable service and reinstate the benefits they earned. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai"i), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

"For the thousands of men and women who served our country with honor and courage, their discharge under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell' should not be a mark of shame on their own records, but on our country," said Murphy. "The repeal of this policy meant that the men and women of our armed forces no longer had to lie about who they are and who they love in order to serve. But now that we've reversed it, we owe it to these men and women to restore not only the benefits they earned, but the dignity of their service to our country."

"The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was a watershed moment, ending institutionalized discrimination that unjustly targeted gay and lesbian members of the military," Schatz said. "Yet thousands of former service members still bear the scars of that discrimination, with their military records tarnished with discharges other than honorable and marks on their records that compromise their right to privacy. Many of these brave men and women that served our country are currently barred from benefits that they earned and are entitled to, and in the most egregious cases they are prevented from legally calling themselves a veteran. This needs to be corrected now."

"We need to right discriminatory discharges for our veterans immediately," Gillibrand said. "A clean, honorable record is long overdue for veterans who were discharged solely because of who they love. Our veterans served our country courageously and with dignity and we must act to give them the appropriate recognition they deserve."

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