This is getting ridiculous. The Obama administration needs to put a stop to this now. Via TowleRoad we learn about former Petty Officer 2nd Class and Hebrew linguist Jason Knight:
The military has a long tradition of recouping money from service members who are discharged under the law known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. If discharging GI Jane or Joe because they happen to be different, [then] telling them they need to repay the government because they are different is insult to injury, as well as reinforcing negative stereotypes. From tuition of ROTC students, military sign-on bonuses to unfulfilled contracts, the military is getting their money's worth for employing lesbian, gay and bisexual service members.They're garnishing his tax refunds.
In 2005 I was discharged from the military for the first time because I annulled my marriage after discovering my sexual orientation. Regardless of misplacing the DADT discharge paperwork, recalling me back to service and serving a year in Kuwait and continues communications with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to rectify the situation, I am still forced to repay my $13,000 sign-on bonus I received in 2001. After zeroing my account when I was discharged in 2005, I refused to pay this grievous loop-hole the government circumvents to continue to persecute LGBT veterans. So for the last six years, all of my tax returns have gone toward repay this "debt" including my 2010 tax return of $1959 that included a $1000 tax credit for being a full-time student.
So Dan Choi, be prepared to receive a letter in the mail that your tax return has been recouped to pay the debt the government has so willingly given you for being a gay man.
We are two years into the Obama administration. Why won't they fix this? It's not required by law, it's not required under DADT. This is a choice. And for some reason the White House refuses to tell DOD to stop harassing gay service members.
These are the kind of things that should have been fixed on day one of the new administration. These are the kinds of things that the White House can fix administratively. They don't need congress. So fix it.
If you haven't already, please sign our letter to Defense Secretary Gates, demanding he stop the financial witch hunts against gay service members.
