Sergeant Matlovich vs. the US Air Force, first televised August 21, 1978, is the true story of Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, who was dismissed from the Air Force for being gay and his fight to be reinstated. Matlovich worked to combat racism in the Air Force in the early 1970s and realized that gays also face similar discrimination. He became an outspoken advocate for the gay community and was given and general discharge from the force.
His fight to be reinstated became a groundbreaking episode that helped rally the LGBT community. He took a settlement from the Air Force and he became an activist for gay rights. He was the first openly gay person to be featured on the cover of a major newsmagazine Time.
The movie starred Brad Dourif in the title role. David Ogden Stiers, Rue McClanahan, Marc Singer, and Mitchell Ryan.
Matlovich died in 1988 just before his 45th birthday. His tombstone in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC (since he wasn't allowed to be buried in Arlington Cemetery) does not bear his name, but has the inscription:
"When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."
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