When Leonard Matlovich became the first openly gay man to grace the cover of TIME on September 8, 1975, his story had enlivened both the anti-gay military climate and the gay civil rights struggle. 
After coming out in March 1975, Matlovich was discharged from the Air Force after 12 years of impressive service, including three tours in Vietnam which resulted in a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Air Force Commendation Medal.
The 32-year-old fought against the ruling, taking the case up to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which began a firestorm in press and political circles.
A program about his case, Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force, was aired by NBC as one of the first gay feature stories on broadcast television.
Matlovich also graced the covers of multiple national media outlets, including TIME. The Court of Appeals eventually overturned the lower court decision to uphold the discharge, and subsequent proceedings led to ordering the Sergeant’s reinstatement and $62,000 back pay.
However, the court ruled not on the constitutionality of the discharge itself, but the Air Force’s failure to clarify its reasoning.
Rather than return to military service, Matlovich decided to accept an honorable discharge and a $160,000 tax-free settlement.
He entered the civilian world and moved to San Francisco, where he lived as ensuing events unfolded. He took a strong conservative stance during the AIDS epidemic, campaigning against bathhouse culture and creating a gay conservative organization in Washington, D.C.
In 1986, Matlovich was diagnosed with AIDS, and spent his remaining years as an activist until his death at 45 in 1988.
He was given full military honors and a 21-gun salute at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington.
His tombstone sits as a memorial to all gay and lesbian service members, reading “A Gay Vietnam Veteran” in place of his name. Another famous line adorns the stone, one that echoes in the gay and military communities still today; “When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”
*By Jason Villemez, 365Gay.com
No comments:
Post a Comment