Pardoning a man who was convicted for being gay
In one of his final acts as Commander in Chief, President Obama used his remaining moments as Chief Executive to pardon a former Army officer who was placed in prison for being gay.
Back in 1989, Peter Heidgerd was a Captain in the U.S. Army and convicted for the charge of “conduct unbecoming of an officer”. He was jailed for an entire year for this “crime”.
Once he was released from prison, it was nearly impossible for Mr. Heidgerd to a job because his record showed a criminal record with a felony.
Obama’s pardon of Heidgerd erased that stain from the former officer’s record forever. It had been there for nearly 30 years. Now – it's gone.
Robin Clark, his lawyer, said the following as reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
“So when he came back to Georgia to find a job he could not get one because no one would hire him with a felony on his record and less-than-honorable discharge.”
On being released from prison, Mr Heidgerd struggled to find a job because he had committed a felony and held a criminal record.
He said he’s not bitter, though he recognizes the loss to his career.
He has a strong faith in God.
“I’ve never arrived. I’ve never been allowed to arrive,” Heidgerd said to AJC. “But I have been the person I wanted to be. … I knew whatever I was as a person that I needed to love me and be me.”
It is not yet clear whether Obama’s pardon will change the official status of Heidgerd’s discharge. His lawyer expects that information to be included in an official letter from the president.
In related news, a 91-year old United States Air Force Gay veteran Hubert Edward Spires finally received an honorable discharge for service to his country – 69 years after leaving the military.
The change in status for Spires occurred only after filing a lawsuit in federal court. See post.
