Thousands of LGBTQ+ Vets Were Promised Pardons. Only 4 Have Succeeded.

Thousands of LGBTQ+ Veterans Were Supposed to Get Pardons. A Year Later, Only Four Have Succeeded

President Biden pledged to use his clemency powers to right ‘an historic wrong.' Why did it fall so short of its promise?

Thousands of LGBTQ+ vets were promised pardons. Only 4 have succeeded.

Former President Joe Biden pledged to use his clemency powers to right ‘an historic wrong.’ Why did it fall so short of its promise?

Thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans were supposed to get pardons. A year later, only four have succeeded

This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. The email came while James Harter was on vacation with his husband in Quebec City, Canada. He was checking his computer in their RV when he read the no-nonsense subject line: Certificate of Pardon. He had no idea just how uncommon that email was — but in the moment, none of that matte…

Thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans were supposed to get pardons. A year later, only four have succeeded.

President Joe Biden had pledged to use his clemency powers to right “a historic wrong.” Why did it fall so short of its promise?