During Pride Month, Kaine & Baldwin Introduce Resolution Apologizing for Government Discrimination Against LGBT Civil Servants, Servicemembers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led the introduction of a Senate resolution that acknowledges and apologizes for the mistreatment of and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) individuals who have served in the uniformed services, as civil servants, or in the Foreign Service. Companion is being led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) and Mark Takano (D-CA-39).

"LGBT civil servants, Foreign Service Officers and servicemembers have made countless contributions to our country and national security-often at great sacrifice. Despite this, our government has subjected them to decades of harassment, invasive investigations, and wrongful termination because of who they are or who they love," said Senator Kaine. "Righting these past wrongs is critical to our fight for equality for all LGBT Americans, and I'm glad to be introducing a resolution this Pride Month alongside Senator Baldwin and Representatives McClellan and Takano to do just that."

"We have a responsibility to pass on an America that is more equal, not less - and that starts with acknowledging and learning from the mistakes of our past," said Senator Baldwin. "Tens of thousands of LGBTQ Americans signed up for service and dedicated their lives to our country, but in return, faced hate and discrimination from their own government. This legislation will shine a light on this dark chapter of our history, honor the men and women who were wronged, and help us move forward in the march towards full equality."

"For far too long, LGBTQ+ federal employees and servicemembers have faced discrimination and mistreatment from the very nation they pledged to serve, merely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity," said Representative McClellan. "As we celebrate Pride Month, I'm working with Congressman Takano and Senators Kaine and Baldwin to acknowledge the traumatic, damaging nature of these past initiatives while using our voice and our vote to ensure that our government, Armed Forces and Foreign Service welcome people of all backgrounds."

"This Administration has been hostile to the idea of a diverse federal service," said Representative Takano. "We have seen them try and erase history, diminish the sacrifices of Americans who serve their country, and ban certain Americans from heeding the call to public service. We will continue to work to repeal these discriminatory policies to fully honor the sacrifice of LGBTQI+ members in the Armed Forces, civil services, and the Foreign Service; however, acknowledgement of these harmful practices and a formal apology is needed as the first step on the road to full reconciliation."

The United States has a long, disturbing history of discrimination against servicemembers and other federal employees identifying as LGBT. Beginning in the early 1940s including a period historians label the "Lavender Scare," thousands of federal employees were discriminated against because of their sexuality. At least 100,000 LGBT military servicemembers were forced out of the Armed Forces between World War II and 2011, most recently due to the 1994-2011 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, which prohibited servicemembers from disclosing their sexual orientation.

In 2014, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13672, officially prohibiting the federal government and federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. During the Biden Administration, the Department of Defense announced that it would undertake a proactive review of the service records of individuals discharged due to their sexual orientation to assess whether to grant them discharge upgrades. Instead of building on that progress, the Trump-Vance Administration is taking America backward, including by rescinding President Obama's Executive Order 13672 and banning transgender Americans from serving in the armed services-a move that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled is likely unconstitutional.

The senators have long fought for equal treatment and rights for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. They have previously introduced the Equality Act, historic, comprehensive legislation to protect Americans from discrimination based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. In 2022, they helped pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which was signed into law to ensure that same-sex and interracial marriages are recognized by every state.

The Senate resolution is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), John Fetterman (D-PA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Full text of the resolution is available here.

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