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Photos show how being LGBTQ+ in the US military has changed

June 5, 20240
President Barack Obama signs legislation repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law against gay and lesbian service members serving openly in the military.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Obama pledged to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” during his 2008 presidential campaign and signed the legislation doing so on December 22, 2010.

“No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie,” he said. “I believe this is the right thing to do for our military. It’s the right thing to do, period.”

The Department of Defense hosted its first Pride Month event in 2012.
Transgender veterans lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US Military,” Trump wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, citing “tremendous medical costs and disruption” as the reason for the reversal.

BBC News reported that the Pentagon was surprised by Trump’s announcement, with then-Defense Secretary James Mattis only finding out about it after Trump published his statement on X.

When the policy went into effect in 2019, it allowed transgender troops who had already been diagnosed with gender dysphoria to continue serving in the military, but did not allow transgender individuals to enlist.

President Joe Biden overturned Trump’s ban and appointed transgender military officer Rachel Levine as assistant health secretary in 2021.
The USNS Harvey Milk.

ARIANA DREHSLER/AFP via Getty Images

Milk, who was discharged from the Navy due to his sexuality, was one of the first openly gay politicians in the US. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 and assassinated in 1978.

“For far too long, sailors like Lt. Milk were forced into the shadows or, worse yet, forced out of our beloved Navy,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said at the launch of the USNS Harvey Milk. “That injustice is part of our Navy history, but so is the perseverance of all who continue to serve in the face of injustice.”

LGBTQ+ members of the US military still face discrimination despite enormous progress.
Members of the US military community at the Capital Pride Festival in Washington, DC.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite progress through new policies, LGBTQ+ service members still encounter stigmas and discrimination due to their sexuality.

A 2020 study published in The Journal of Traumatic Stress found that over 80% of LGBTQ+ active-military service members said they have been sexually harassed during their service. LGBTQ+ veterans are also more likely to experience economic insecurity, housing instability, and mental health concerns than non-LGBTQ+ veterans, according to a 2022 analysis conducted by the Center for American Progress.

Organizations like the Modern Military Association of America continue to advocate for LGBTQ+ service members, providing resources and support as well as opportunities to march with a rainbow flag during Pride Month.