The "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy was institutionalized discrimination, plain and simple. It unjustly punished proud and capable service members for who they loved.

In a move aimed at rectifying that historical injustice, President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued a proclamation pardoning veterans who were convicted or discharged from the military under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The policy, implemented by President Bill Clinton and effective from 1993 to 2011, barred openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. It led to the discharge of thousands of service members.

Biden’s proclamation acknowledges the policy’s discriminatory nature and offers a measure of redress to those who were unjustly penalized. Although I am........

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