LGBTQ Veterans still waiting for VA benefits
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - There are thousands of Vets who are still without the Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits they deserve.
The military acknowledges they were discriminated against decades ago, so why are those Vets still waiting for the healthcare and other benefits they're owed?
Lilly Stefannides remembers being imprisoned while serving with the Navy; not for something the sailor did, but because of who the Veteran is.
"They locked me up behind bars for a couple of days and gave me a couple of slices of bread and a cup of ice every morning," Stefannides shared.
For decades in America, being LGBTQ could get you thrown out of the service under the military's "homosexual conduct" policy.
"It altered the trajectory of my life"
Department of Defense (DoD) records, obtained by NBC News, show more than 32,000 Vets were forced out since 1980.
"I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted by that," Stefannides expressed.
Stefannides, who identifies as non-binary, was ultimately kicked out of the navy in 1989. Military paperwork blamed "homosexuality," giving Steffanides what's known as an "other than honorable discharge," which can leave Veterans without valuable VA benefits like healthcare, tuition, and home loans.
Steffanides spent years homeless.
"I felt that I was kind of something to be discarded," Stefannides said.
When asked if this changed them, Stefannides replied, "It absolutely changed me. It altered the trajectory of my life."
Neither process is automatic
Gay service members have been thrown out of the Armed Forces dating back to World War II, but the U.S. officially ended the practice in 2011 with the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell."
As of now, Veterans must apply through the military to get their discharge status upgraded, and separately with the VA to get the benefits they're owed. Neither process is automatic, putting the burden on Veterans.
In September, the DoD announced plans to "proactively" review and correct military records of Veterans discharged because of their sexual orientation, but only for those discharged during "Don't ask, don't tell." The DoD said that nearly two months later, there is still no timeline for that process to start.
The VA records show its review takes an average of 233 days to determine benefit eligibility.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough spoke on the finding saying, "That's too long. We are going to continue to work at this as aggressively as we can."
Upgrading Veteran's discharge status
Steffanides applied for VA benefits in 2019 and finally received them more than 10 months later, but the wait continues for the military to upgrade the Veteran's discharge status to honorable.
"I need my country to tell me that I'm okay. You know, I mean, to tell me that I'm equal," Stefannides remarked.
Stefannides is now part of a class action lawsuit against the Department of Defense, which asks the military to "systematically upgrade" discharges for service members kicked out for their sexual orientation.
The Pentagon says it doesn't comment on pending litigation. Stefannides, who has stage four prostate cancer, worries waiting much longer won't be an option.
"I may not live to see the discharge upgrade," Stefannides spoke.
When asked how often they think about it, Stefannides said, "I wonder every day."
