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Conn. State Senator Pushes For Benefits For Veterans Discharged For Being Gay

Image by SatyaPrem from Pixabay

Connecticut lawmakers want to expand state benefits for veterans who were less-than-honorably discharged due to their sexual orientation.

State Senator and army veteran Catherine Osten introduced the bill.

She said service members who were discharged for being gay could qualify for federal benefits after “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was repealed a decade ago — but that did not affect state benefits.

“That is a bifurcated system. So, not necessarily if they got the upgrade on the federal side would that deal with the state benefits. And we want to incorporate those,” Osten said.

Those state benefits include things like tax abatements, disability benefits and educational opportunities.

Connecticut is home to about 200,000 veterans. Osten said the bill is part of a larger effort to attract more veterans to the state.

This story was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans. Funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Desiree reports on the lives of military service members, veterans, and their families for WSHU as part of the American Homefront project. Born and raised in Connecticut, she now calls Long Island home.