‘What's going to happen for us?' These gay military veterans wonder what Biden's new pardon means for them

The pre-dawn silence was shattered by heavy banging on the doors of the US Army barracks in West Germany in May 1988. Mona McGuire and Karla Lehmann were forcibly pulled from their barracks, interrogated for hours, and eventually expelled from the Army for admitting to charges of sodomy and indecent acts. On a mission to avoid court martial and prison, the former soldiers accepted less than honorable discharges. Now, after President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of American veterans convicted under a military law that prohibited gay sex for over six decades, McGuire and Lehmann are left wondering if their military records will be affected. The pardon is expected to impact around 2,000 individuals, opening the door for them to apply for a certificate that will help them receive withheld benefits. However, the process is seen as burdensome, with veterans having to prove eligibility and navigate a pardon application system. The veterans are calling for an easier and more automatic process.