Celebrating Pride Month: Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, first out military service member

Leonard Matlovich, born July 6, 1943 in Savannah, Georgia, was the first service member to out himself to the military to fight their ban on gay people.  He enlisted at the age of 19, and served three tours of duty in Vietnam.  He was seriously wounded when he stepped on a landmine. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

He taught Air Force Race Relations to fight discrimination in the military after several racial incidents.  He came to realize that gays faced similar discrimination as African Americans.

On March 6, 1975, Matlovich hand-delivered a letter to his commanding officer at Langley AFB, officially professing to be gay.  He was discharged, despite his exemplary military record and tours of duty in Vietnam, he was ruled unfit for service.  He was given an Honorable discharge in October 1975.  

He sued for reinstatement and in September 1980, US District Court Judge Gerhard Gesell stated the Air Force had failed to provide an explanation why Matlovich did not meets its criteria for exception and ordered him to be reinstated.  Matlovich accepted a financial settlement instead, convinced that the military would find some other reason to discharge him.  

He continued to fight for gay rights until his death in 1988. His tombstone reads: 

"A Gay Vietnam Veteran. When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."

"Sgt. Matlovich Vs. US Air Force" airs 1978

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."