Monday, June 22, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Committee on Veterans
0:20 Was saying basically, yeah.
0:20 Good morning and welcome t
0:39 otoday's New York City Council
0:41 hearing from.
0:41 The committee on veteran
0:43 affairs at this time I'd like
0:44 to remind everyone to police
0:46 on their electronic devices
0:47 and no points to anyone t
0:48 oapproach the dais. If you
0:49 would like to sign up for
0:50 public testimony and have not
0:51 done so already feel free to
0:53 sign a slip locate outside I
0:54 nthe hallway with the sergeant
0:55 arms chair. We're ready t
1:01 obegin. Good morning. I am
1:03 councilman Frank moreno. I
1:04 have the pleasure and honor of
1:06 sharing the veterans committee
1:08 of the New York City Council.
1:09 I want to thank everybody
1:11 who's joining us here in
1:12 person. I want to thank
1:13 everybody who is watching the
1:15 azuma wanted to thank
1:16 everybody that's watching on
1:17 cable television when there's
1:19 nothing else on, but I really
1:21 want to thank everybody for
1:23 tuning in, however, they're
1:26 tuning in for such an
1:27 important topic and today our
1:30 oversight hearing is on
1:32 programs and services for lgb
1:34 tq plus veterans. Um, when I
1:39 first took over this committee
1:41 . I mentioned that to me
1:43 veterans issues were the one
1:46 issue that should be an
1:48 ideally would be totally non
1:51 conservatives love talking
1:52 about veterans issues because
1:54 it deals with patriotism
1:55 ,defending the country, all
1:56 sorts of thing thast
1:58 traditionally conservatives
1:59 are all about a lot of
2:02 progressives love focusing on
2:03 veterans issues because it
2:04 gives them an opportunity t
2:06 otalk about health care and
2:08 housing and all sorts of
2:09 things that progressives are
2:12 all about on a regular basis
2:14 and to me. The thing that I
2:16 loved most about this
2:17 committee is we have members
2:20 on both sides of the political
2:21 spectrum, and we are all
2:22 rowing in the same direction
2:25 to deliver for New yorkers and
2:26 especially for the veterans
2:28 that have served us nowhere
2:31 where that more noticeable
2:33 than in terms of the issues
2:36 that are uniquely facing lgbt
2:39 plus veterans as our committee
2:42 has research and as we get
2:45 into, uh, lgbt veterans have a
2:47 higher instance of ptsd. Lgbt
2:51 veterans have higher incidents
2:53 of being victimized by sexual
2:55 assault and a number of other
2:58 things that even after the
2:59 ending of don't ask, don't
3:02 tell, continue to permeate
3:03 throughout the veterans
3:05 community and this committee,
3:07 which has some very dedicated
3:08 council members on it is not
3:10 going to just sit by and
3:12 accept that as the New status
3:14 quo. So what? I'm hoping we
3:15 can get out in today's hearing
3:17 is a playbook is a playbook
3:19 for or legislative action a
3:23 playbook for the awareness in
3:25 a way that we can fix what is
3:28 a very real problem. I do want
3:31 to mention two things that are
3:33 particularly important given
3:34 the circumstances and given
3:36 our history is a I want to
3:38 give a big congratulations to
3:40 retired sergeant first class
3:43 dominick pepe from woodhaven
3:45 for his induction into the New
3:47 York state veterans hall of
3:49 fame. Uh, not long ago. I did
3:50 not even know there was a New
3:52 York state veterans hall of
3:53 fame and, uh, to me, dominick
3:56 pepe is exactly the type of
3:58 person that this hearing is
3:59 focused on today and I'm glad
4:01 to see that he's been
4:02 recognized on a statewide
4:05 basis. I also want to take a
4:05 moment to speak about the
4:07 legacy of a staten islander
4:08 who lives in my district and
4:10 there's a street name for him.
4:13 Six minutes from my office and
4:14 10 minutes from where I grew
4:15 up and that is James jimmy
4:18 zappa, lordy gay vietnam war
4:21 veteran who was murdered
4:22 because of his sexual
4:25 orientation. His murder was
4:27 the first officially
4:28 designated hate crime in the
4:29 borough of staten island and
4:32 his plight inspired activism
4:33 that led to the passage of the
4:34 New York state hate crimes act
4:36 of the year 2000, which was
4:39 signed by governor pataki,
4:41 which allowed harsher
4:42 penalties for crimes motivated
4:44 by bias against race, religio
4:46 n, sexual orientation, et
4:48 cetera
4:49 , and za pilar eddie's murder
4:50 did more than just cause grief
4:52 his legacy united communities.
4:55 It sparked a level of activism
4:58 that really hadn't been seen
5:00 before, certainly in the
5:02 staten island south shore
5:03 community, certainly in the
5:05 lgbt community and certainly
5:06 in the military veteran
5:08 community. There was these
5:10 apollo lardy society, which
5:11 was founded in 19 92 and the
5:14 pride center of staten island,
5:15 which was founded in 2013 an
5:18 dall about providing lasting
5:20 support and services to staten
5:22 islands lgbtq plus.
5:25 Community. Uh, let say a
5:26 word or two in an observation
5:28 or two about our lgbt q plus
5:32 veterans between 19 80 in 19
5:37 93 over 19000 lgbt plus
5:40 service members were
5:41 discharged, many with other
5:43 than honorable statuses and
5:45 under don't ask, don't tell
5:47 more than 13000 were denied
5:51 benefits recognition and
5:51 dignity, and you think about
5:53 that, these people are just in
5:55 need of thee bail. These
5:58 people are just in as much in
5:59 need of health care of housing
6:02 and to think that they were
6:04 denied anything that should be
6:06 rightly given to a veteran who
6:08 has risked their lives in the
6:09 service of our country. It's
6:12 abomablein, and these policies
6:15 force veterans to lose healt
6:16 hcare, education and retirement
6:18 benefits while at the same
6:21 time enduring discrimination,
6:23 harassment and trauma in
6:24 service to their country
6:26 . Even today in persist with
6:28 about a thousand transgender
6:29 service members discharged
6:33 after the 20 25 ban on their
6:34 service 20 25 as a result of
6:37 sviolence against lgbt plus
6:45 indidualvis lgbt plus veterans
6:46 face higher rates of mental
6:48 health challenges suicide,
6:50 ptsd and chronic illness there
6:55 also significantly more likely
6:55 to experience military sexual
6:57 trauma and assault further
6:59 ,compounding a lot of these
7:00 health issues at.
7:01 The same time we have a real
7:05 problem with data. There are
7:08 major gaps in the data nearly
7:12 89%, a va records lack gender
7:15 identity, information making
7:17 lgbtq plus veterans largely
7:20 invisible in official counts.
7:22 National estimate suggests
7:22 there are around one minute
7:26 ylgbt plus veterans while in
7:27 New York state. There be
7:29 around 70000, most of them
7:31 believed to be concentrated in
7:32 New York City, although as I
7:34 indicated because of the lack
7:35 of data we don't know exactly
7:38 for sure together.
7:39 These realities underscore
7:40 the importance of ensuring
7:42 lgbt plus veterans are see
7:45 nrecognized for their service
7:46 to the country supported and
7:48 connected to comprehensive
7:50 ,affirming health care and
7:50 services that they've earne
7:54 din addition to our oversight
7:54 topic today. We're going to be
7:57 hearing two very important
7:59 pieces of legislation. We're
8:00 going to be hearing intro
8:03 number 9 1 4, which is
8:07 sponsored by me, uh, which is
8:08 a great bill as you might
8:10 expect, which would require a
8:13 study and recommendations o
8:14 nthe feasibility and
8:16 implementing a pilot program
8:19 to provide reconsolidation of
8:20 traumatic memories therapy for
8:22 veterans, let me say a word on
8:24 this bill unlike any other
8:26 bill that I've introduced this
8:29 didn't come from an idea that
8:31 I had within a constituent
8:32 brought to me or that I
8:34 researched this bill was
8:36 introduced by the prior chair
8:38 of the veterans committee, bob
8:39 holden. And even though it had
8:41 been passed by the veterans
8:42 committee in the last City
8:44 council it never got to be
8:45 voted on by the council as a
8:47 whole. So, um what? I'm hoping
8:49 to get at today is exactly
8:52 what this particular type of
8:54 therapy would do. I know it's
8:56 been controversial in some
8:58 quarters and what New York
8:59 City could do to explore this
9:01 as a viable therapy for
9:03 dealing with ptsd if this bill
9:06 needs to be amended to better
9:08 reflect the realities of how
9:09 New York City would handle
9:10 this. I'm all about amending
9:12 it, even though this is my
9:13 bell. This is not a bill that
9:16 I have necessarily a rooting
9:18 interest seeing in its current
9:19 form I am all about changing
9:22 it, uh, or adapting it or
9:24 expanding its based on the
9:26 testimony we're going to hear
9:26 from the administration and
9:30 hopefully.
9:31 The public. The other
9:31 legislation we're hearing
9:33 today is another ver
9:34 yimportant piece of legislation
9:37 introduced by um which is
9:39 intro number nine to wait.
9:42 Sponsored by minority leader
9:43 David carney, which would
9:46 amend the administrative code
9:46 of the City of New York in
9:48 relation to establishing an
9:52 lgbt liaison within the
9:53 department of veteran services
9:55 for those of you that are
9:56 unfamiliar with minority
9:57 leader. Car. He's the best
9:59 Council Member of this body
10:01 has and certainly the best
10:02 island hats, I would love for
10:04 the minority leader to speak
10:04 on his bill. Thank you, chair.
10:08 I appreciate the pan of prais
10:10 e, but I have to start by
10:12 thanking you and commending
10:13 you for your leadership of
10:14 this committee since the start
10:16 of the term you've shown in
10:18 these last six months and
10:20 energy, enthusiasm and
10:23 determination to improve the
10:23 lot of the New York City
10:24 veteran community that I think
10:25 is not only commendable, but
10:27 it's necessary, I think that
10:28 we always have to have a focus
10:29 on those who served many of
10:32 whom served in combat, many o
10:33 fwhom served and came back
10:35 after traumatic experiences or
10:37 physically traumatic injuries.
10:39 These people were willing t
10:40 ogive their lives for our
10:43 nation and the least we could
10:44 do is support them now that
10:44 they're home and their pursuit
10:45 of jobs in their pursuit of
10:47 housing and their pursuit of
10:48 justice in some cases in
10:50 pursuit of a life of happiness
10:52 that they more than earned
10:53 with their service, so thank
10:55 you, chair for all of your
10:56 advocacy on behalf of this
10:58 wonderful community. Um I also
10:59 want to thank commissioner
11:00 motto for being here today. We
11:02 had a productive conversation
11:03 last week about the staten
11:04 island veteran community and I
11:07 think the New York City
11:07 community at large and I look
11:08 forward to continuing to work
11:09 with you and your team. I
11:11 appreciate you being here t
11:12 ogive feedback on these pieces
11:14 of legislation a this will
11:16 mark 15 years since congress
11:18 repealed the infamous don't
11:20 ask, don't tell policy, which
11:23 was supposed to allow lgbt
11:25 americans to serve in the
11:26 military as long as they did
11:28 not openly disclose their
11:30 sexual orientation intended as
11:31 a so called compromise, which
11:32 was in order to end
11:34 discrimination against gay and
11:35 lesbian and bisexual
11:36 individuals in the military.
11:39 In many ways, it did quite the
11:40 opposite, forcing people who
11:41 are willing to give their
11:41 lives to serve their country a
11:45 an opportunity to go back into
11:47 the closet sadly and buy some
11:48 estimates between world war
11:50 and die repeal in 2011. The
11:53 military discharge, as many as
11:54 a hundred 14000 service
11:56 members on the basis of their
11:58 actual or perceived sexual
12:00 orientation, and I think the
12:01 lesson of that period before d
12:04 a. D, the period in which it
12:05 was in place and then, of
12:06 course, the period since its
12:07 repeal. I think the lesson of
12:09 each of those those points in
12:11 time is that everyone should
12:13 be allowed to serve openly in
12:15 our nation's military,
12:15 regardless of their sexual
12:16 orientation or their gender
12:18 identity if you are willing to
12:19 put your life on the line for
12:21 the united states of america,
12:22 that is a commendable thing it
12:24 shows the inherent bravery and
12:25 character of who you are.
12:28 That's what speaks to the kind
12:29 of person that those
12:30 individuals are who want to
12:31 serve in that way and they
12:32 should all be given the
12:34 opportunity to do so freely
12:36 and openly and genuinely a
12:36 swho they are.
12:39 Um, the military continues
12:40 in all cases to issue service
12:43 members a characterization of
12:44 service upon their discharge
12:46 or discharged status and most
12:48 service members receive an
12:49 honorable discharge status,
12:51 which entitles each of them to
12:53 their va benefits, but those
12:54 who are discharged under
12:56 received a less than honorable
12:59 discharge, such as a general
13:00 discharge under honorable
13:01 conditions and other than
13:02 honorable discharge, a bad
13:04 conduct, discharge or even I
13:05 nsome cases a dishonorable
13:07 discharge as a result they
13:08 cannot access some of the
13:10 essential benefits awarded to
13:11 those who have served our
13:12 country's this is the
13:14 education benefits, health
13:15 benefits burials in the va
13:16 national cemetery and money
13:19 many more a when congress
13:21 repealed in 20 11, the
13:23 military established a process
13:25 for veterans discharged under
13:25 the policy to remove
13:27 justifications related t
13:29 otheir sexual orientation from
13:30 their paperwork and upgrade
13:31 their discharged status t
13:34 ohonorable yet that process
13:34 shamefully place the burden on
13:35 individual service members to
13:37 correct their records after
13:38 many of them had endured years
13:40 back years in decades, in some
13:45 cases to complete this
13:46 procedure, veterans must
13:47 assemble a variety of old
13:48 records in most cases a the
13:51 help the help of an attorney's
13:53 required and typically wait 18
13:54 months or more for the board
13:55 that the sides these
13:56 discharged status changes t
13:59 oupgrade those petitions a with
14:00 their respective military
14:01 branch of servi ifce they
14:03 exhaust their administrative
14:04 remedies, veterans must file
14:05 an appeal in court, uh, for
14:07 which they must seek the help
14:08 of a lawyer often at great
14:09 cost it is unclear how many