Leonard Matlovich

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Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich (1943-1988) was a Vietnam War veteran, race relations instructor, and recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He fought the US military in 1975 for the right to serve as an openly gay man.

He won his case in 1980 when a federal judge ordered the Air Force to reinstate him. Matlovich accepted a monetary settlement, instead. Matlovich was also unconventionally twice excommunicated by the Mormon Church for being homosexual. He was first excommunicated on October 7, 1975 in Norfolk, Virginia, and then after his appearance on the Phil Donahue television show in 1978, without being rebaptized, he was re-excommunicated on January 17, 1979 in San Francisco, California.[1]

Ultimately, he ended up championing many gay causes throughout his life.

In 1986, he was diagnosed with AIDS and died June 22, 1988.

His tombstone reads, “When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”[2] Matlovich's tombstone is on the same row at Congressional Cemetery as J. Edgar Hoover's.

[edit] Literature

• Mike Hippler: Matlovich: The Good Soldier, Alyson Publications Inc., 1989, ISBN 1-55583-129-X

[edit] External links

• Todd Richmond: Lavender Lives - Leonard Matlovich - 1943-1988, 365gay.com, June, 17. 2001
• The grave of Leonard P. Matlovich at findagrave.com, January, 1. 2001