(5/26/2022) Today the Massachusetts State Senate unanimously adopted an amendment filed by Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) that would make LGBTQ Veterans discharged under the now-repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy eligible for Veteran benefits from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
“For far too long, thousands of courageous individuals have been told that they are not worthy of the same benefits that their comrades and counterparts earned. That their service, and their sacrifice is not worth the same. All because of who they are and who they love,” said Senator Velis, who is Chair of the Veterans & Federal Affairs Committee. “The years of trauma, abuse and harassment caused by Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell cannot be undone. But we must do everything in our power to ensure that LGBTQ Veterans across the Commonwealth have the same access to benefits and services that other Veterans have.”
“LGBTQ Veterans that were discharged under the now defunct, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, served their country proudly and are every bit as entitled to state Veteran benefits as any other service member. We are grateful to Senator Velis for his recognition of their service and his leadership in ensuring that their sacrifice will be honored by restoring the benefits that they rightfully earned.” said Tanya Neslusan, Executive Director of MassEquality.
The Department of Defense’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy barred openly gay, lesbian or bisexual persons from military service from 1994 until 2011. During the 17 years that the policy was in effect, more than 14,000 service members were forced out of the military. Because these service members did not receive an honorable discharge, they and their families are not eligible for many Veteran benefits.
This past fall, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued new guidance that Veterans discharged under the policy are eligible for federal benefits. Amendment #799 would codify into Massachusetts state law that any Veteran discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would be eligible for state benefits from the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services.
Under this amendment, State Veteran benefits that discharged Veterans would receive include:
- Chapter 115 Financial Aid
- Property Tax Exemptions
- Tuition Waivers
- License Plate and ID Designations
- Veteran Annuities
- Care at Massachusetts Soldiers’ Homes
“Ask the soldier who is bleeding out on the battlefield if they care about the sexual orientation of the combat medic applying the torniquet. Ask the Marine in Afghanistan or Iraq in a firefight if they care about the gender identity of the person besides them shooting to defend their life. The belief that having an LGBTQ service member would somehow keep our military from functioning or compromise our mission is unfathomable,” said Senator Velis, who is also currently a Major in the US Army Reserve. “The tragic truth is that so many service members are still feeling the effects of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to this day. These Veterans wore the same uniform as us, they served alongside us, they fought alongside us, and they deserve to be taken care of the same way as the rest of us. It is time to do right by them.”
With the amendment now adopted into the Senate’s budget, it will now be considered in a conference committee with the House of Representatives.
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