海角大神

Speaking at the annual gala of the Human Rights Campaign, America鈥檚 largest gay rights protection group, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton offered the community what some are calling her strongest show of support yet.

Among other added protections, Mrs. Clinton on Saturday said she would amend military records for lesbian, gay, and transgender veterans who have been discriminated against and dishonorably discharged.

The upgraded records belong to as many as 14,000 men and women, she said, people 鈥渨ho were forced聽out of the military for being gay.鈥�

鈥淭hey were given ,鈥� said Clinton, according to The Washington Post. 鈥淚 can't think聽of a better way to thank those men and women for their service聽than by upgrading their service records.鈥�

Clinton also used the platform to warn that if a Republican president is elected next year, many newer聽 according to USA Today.

"We鈥檙e going to face some ridiculousness, especially from our friends in the GOP,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been fighting alongside you and others for equal rights and I鈥檓 just getting warmed up. That鈥檚 a promise, from one HRC to another.鈥�

For some veterans, the upgrade of service records has been a battle stemming as far back as 60 years. Last month, The New York Times reported the story of Donald Hallman, a private in the army who was discharged in 1955 for 鈥渂eing He is now 82 years old.

Mr. Hallman, who was 鈥渟o scared of being an outcast鈥� that he burned almost all his military records, applied this summer for the 鈥渦ndesirable鈥� discharge to be changed to 鈥渉onorable,鈥� according to the Times.

鈥淚鈥檝e gotten to a point in my life where no one can hurt me now,鈥� he told the newspaper.聽鈥淚 want to show I was an honorable person."

If someone is dishonorably discharged from the military, it can stay with them long after military service. NPR鈥檚 Quil Lawrence describes any record other than 鈥渉onorable鈥� as 聽one that can cost vets 鈥渁ll sorts of benefits鈥� and make it difficult to find work.

鈥淵ou might as well have never even enlisted,鈥� Michael Hartnett, a former Marine, . "[It's] worse than being a convicted felon."

Clinton鈥檚 latest extension to LGBT veterans comes only weeks after the Army marked another watershed moment: the appointment of Eric Fanning, its first openly gay secretary, 海角大神 reported.

Mr. Fanning "has the power to influence policy and promotion and, thus, set a tone for Army culture," writes the Monitor's Patrik Jonsson. "That culture remains resistant, to an extent, to open integration of gay soldiers into the ranks and the promotion of women into combat roles."

Gays and lesbians were barred from serving in America's military until 1993, when the controversial 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell鈥� law was instituted by President Bill Clinton鈥檚 administration, allowing homosexuals to serve without harassment if they did not reveal their sexual orientation.

It was repealed in 2011.

Clinton on Saturday thanked the crowd of hundreds of gay rights activists for their persistence, saying frankly: 鈥淵ou helped change a lot of minds, including mine.鈥�