Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves, Mr. Biden said in the statement.
Despite their courage and great sacrifice, thousands of L.G.B.T.Q.I.+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The proclamation addresses charges brought under Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a federal law that made it a crime to engage in unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex, even with mutual consent.
Individuals could then start the process to have the terms of their discharges upgraded, officials said. They did not give a timeline for how long that process could take, or say whether additional resources would be dedicated to outreach for veterans.
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