Senator Hoylman Albany Times Union Op-Ed

Each Veterans Day, we honor the men and women who have risked their lives serving our country in the military. While we take this time to honor our servicemen and women, we need to remember the many veterans who have been dishonorably discharged solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

New York can help address this stain on our country's history by ensuring all gay, lesbian and transgender service members — regardless of when they served — have access to the same benefits as their straight counterparts.

In 2011, the Department of Defense took a critical step toward progress in ending its discriminatory policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," allowing gay and lesbian members of our armed forces to serve openly for the first time. But widespread injustice remains, including the inability of openly transgender service members to serve in the military.

Generations of LGBT veterans throughout our state and our country — more than 114,000 people — were discharged prior to the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" just because of who they are. As a result, these individuals are ineligible for a host of state and federal programs that are intended to support veterans.

This past Memorial Day, my office released a report identifying more than 50 state programs for which LGBT veterans may fail to qualify due to their discharge status. These programs, designed to provide support to veterans that put their lives on the line for our nation, range from scholarships to job opportunities to health screenings to reimbursement for burial costs.

New York can and should lead the way to put an end to our government's shameful treatment of LGBT veterans. That's why I am introducing the New York Restoration of Honor Act in the state Senate with Sen.Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, which would make veterans discharged due to sexual orientation or gender identity eligible for these programs, services and benefits at the state level.

In particular, our bill would establish a simple, streamlined certification process within the state Division of Veterans Affairs for LGBT veterans to clarify their discharge status and place the burden on the state to prove why a veteran discharged for one's sexual orientation or gender identity isn't otherwise eligible for state assistance.

There is similar legislation at the federal level. New York's own U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — along with Sen. Brian Schatz, Rep. Charlie Rangel and Rep. Mark Pocan — introduced a bill that would correct the military records of veterans discharged due to their sexual orientation to reflect their honorable service and, as a result, make them eligible for all the federal programs to which other veterans have access.

With the gridlock that has seized Congress, New York can't wait for Washington to act. While New York state doesn't have the power to correct the military records of discharged LGBT service members, it can ensure these heroes are treated with the respect and honor anyone who fights for our country deserves.

It is disgraceful that our government treats people who risked their lives for our freedoms with such utter disrespect. Thankfully, "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is now considered to be as archaic as prohibiting women from serving in the armed forces. But it's critical that New York put an end to the lingering effects of discrimination toward LGBT service members and rectify the outright discrimination that continues to plague our state and our nation.

As we take time to celebrate this Veterans Day, Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike can surely agree this is a battle worth fighting.