Air Force veteran once imprisoned for being gay still endures the stigma of a felony record

"There are thousands that have been incarcerated for their sexuality" over the years, said Rachel VanLandingham, a law professor who spent 24 years in the Air Force and is now the president of a nonprofit dedicated to improving fairness in the military justice system."If they cared enough, they could go through the records."

While the true scope is unknown, it's estimated 100,000 LGBTQ service members were kicked out of the military between World War II and the repeal of"don't ask, don't tell." Many received less than honorable discharges that deprived them of the full spectrum of benefits afforded to those honorably discharged, including access to VA loan programs, college tuition assistance, health care and some federal jobs. Others, however, faced far more severe consequences.

It wasn't uncommon then to be court-martialed and thrown out of the military, so Marose followed his lawyer's advice and pleaded guilty. But the military didn't discharge Marose — it put him in prison. "There were so many alternative ways to involuntarily separate an individual from the military without putting on a paper that you were doing so because of their sexual orientation," VanLandingham said.

While there are official channels veterans can use to request a discharge upgrade or correction to their record, Marose said he has never tried to do so because he had heardIn a statement to CBS News, a Defense Department spokesperson said it would be"inappropriate" to comment on a specific case, adding that"as a matter of law, the Department of Defense has no means by which it can administratively set aside a conviction once appellate review is complete.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Boeing looks to sell at least 150 737 Max jets to Riyadh Air - Bloomberg NewsBoeing Co is working on a deal to sell at least 150 737 Max jetliners to Saudi Arabian startup Riyadh Air, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday.
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

WSJ News Exclusive | Russian Cruise Missile That Struck Poland Exposes NATO’s Air DefensesA Russian cruise missile in December slammed into a patch of forest in Poland, near a NATO training center, exposing challenges to defending the alliance’s airspace
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »

Fact Check: Edited Video of Sen. Lindsey Graham Angers Russian LeadershipRussian leadership issued an arrest warrant against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) after his visit to Ukraine last week. See potential bias and similarities in coverage from FoxNews, Newsweek, and thedailybeast:
Source: AllSidesNow - 🏆 572. / 51 Read more »

George Maharis, Star of Route 66, Dead at 94The actor starred in the classic 1960s CBS drama.
Source: NYMag - 🏆 111. / 63 Read more »

2 firefighters injured battling apartment building fire in BucktownCBS 2 spoke to a neighbor who escaped the fire.
Source: cbschicago - 🏆 546. / 51 Read more »

Afghan sisters who defied family and the Taliban to sing 'lost everything' and now battle depressionIn 2010, two Afghan sisters rebelled against their family's wishes and their country's traditions by singing in public, even posting videos of their music online. The pair were reprimanded lightly by a local court, but it didn't stop them.
Source: CBSNews - 🏆 87. / 68 Read more »