Former servicemembers who were discharged under Don't Ask Don't Tell dating back to 2004 are going to receive the benefits they were denied because of it.
The ACLU has settled a suit with the federal government that will allow many of the military servicemembers discharged under the anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) to receive full separation pay. Because of the way DADT penalized homosexuality, many discharged under the policy only received one-half separation pay. As result of the suit, any of those individuals discharged after November 10, 2004 — the farthest back the statute of limitations allows — will now be entitled to receive the full pay they were denied. [...]
The original case was brought on behalf of 181 honorably discharged veterans whose separation pay was cut due to DADT, which officially ended in September, 2010. As many as 3,300 could benefit from Monday’s ruling.
This goes beyond ending the policy of DADT to beginning to heal at least some of the wounds it inflicted.
Or as Joe Biden would say, it's a big fuckin' deal.