President corrects ‘great injustice’ with clemency for military personnel ‘convicted simply for being themselves’

Joe Biden has moved to correct a “great injustice” by pardoning thousands of US veterans convicted over six decades under a military law that banned gay sex.

The presidential proclamation, which comes during Pride month and an election year, allows LGBTQ+ service members convicted of crimes based solely on their sexual orientation to apply for a certificate of pardon that will help them receive withheld benefits.

…

It grants clemency to service members convicted under Uniform Code of Military Justice article 125 – which criminalised sodomy, including between consenting adults – between 1951 and 2013, when it was rewritten by Congress.

That includes victims of the 1950s “lavender scare”, a witch-hunt in which many LGBTQ+ people employed by the federal government were viewed as security risks amid fears their sexual orientation made them vulnerable to blackmail. Thousands were investigated and fired or denied employment.

  • Maggoty@lemmy.world
    5·
    4 months ago

    Oh how I wish you were right.

    13 May 2023, Guardian, “Title 42 migration restrictions have ended, but Biden’s new policy is tougher”

    People who arrive at the border without using a lawful pathway will be presumed ineligible for asylum.

    …

    But Biden is now replacing Title 42 with an arguably tougher, more restrictive policy. His administration on Friday started implementing a rule barring migrants from asylum if they don’t request refugee status in another country before entering the US.

    The upshot is they have to stay in the dangerous country and get approval via an app (that of course has trouble with facial recognition for BIPOC people) and a consulate visit before traveling. This is because if they go to another country for this process the government claims they found a safe country already.

    And sanctuary cities are not “over capacity” nor are they even an official thing. The federal government does not recognize them. It’s a local decision to not cooperate with ICE. The entire idea that the country has a “capacity” is far right bullshit that goes straight back to 1800’s immigrant bashing.

    Edit to add-

    I especially love this bit, where we cap the number of people from infamously failed and violent countries. And require them to have a connect. Is having a president who doesn’t get sued by the ACLU for immigration too much to ask?

    The White House is also allowing up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to fly to the US each month, as long as they have American financial supporters.

    • eldavi@lemmy.ml
      5·
      4 months ago

      i was also going to point out biden’s 100% tariffs on electric vehicles contradicts climate initiatives; supporting trump’s immigration policies (as you just did); etc. and i want to say it’s nice to hear someone else splash a dose of reality into the conversation.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        4·
        4 months ago

        The only way I could get behind his Chinese tariffs is if he unleashed a DARPA moonshot on batteries and open sourced the resulting technology. But no he dived straight for protectionism and letting the traditional companies sell us cars at double the size and triple the price the market should be at.

        • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
          2·
          4 months ago

          So you think we should be in full support of trade with China? Even with their ongoing genocide, threats to the Philippines and Thailand, and active surveillance systems in the US?

          • Maggoty@lemmy.world
            5·
            4 months ago

            I gave a legal and internationally safe alternative and you went straight to, “full support of China”. Come on dude. At least try and engage in good faith.

            So here’s a couple ideas you might like better, I guess. We tell the CIA we want those specs; or we buy a hundred for a rip and rebuild and open source the results. Give them the Russian tank/plane treatment.

            • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
              2·
              4 months ago

              I wrote “full support of trade with China.” People are protesting for divestment from Israel over genocide in tents they bought from China. I’m just saying it’s hypocritical.