After serving in the Vietnam War, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Leonard Matlovich faced a new kind of fight—this time against the military establishment. In 1975, he captured global attention by openly challenging the military’s ban on homosexuality.
Matlovich’s courageous stand and the resulting legal battle marked a key moment of progress in advancing the movement for equality across various communities.
Leonard Matlovich’s early life
Leonard Matlovich’s connection to the US military began on July 6, 1943, when he was born at Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia, where his father, a retired US Air Force sergeant, was stationed. Matlovich grew up on military bases, as his family moved from installation to installation across the southern states.
Raised in the Catholic faith, Matlovich attended Bishop England High School in South Carolina, although he humorously referred to his education as being from “Air Force high school.” As a teenager and young adult, he acknowledged holding regressive views, including opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, having admiration for Confederate symbols and having major prejudice against homosexuals, despite his own personal struggles.
Service in Vietnam
Continuing his family’s respected military legacy, Leonard Matlovich felt compelled to follow a similar path. At 19, he enlisted in the US Air Force as America’s involvement in Vietnam intensified.
A committed patriot, Matlovich eagerly sought combat experience, volunteering for overseas assignments. He completed three tours with the Air Force, though specific details of his missions are scarce. His distinguished service is clear, highlighted by an incident on sentry duty where he eliminated two Viet Cong soldiers, earning the Bronze Star. While stationed in Đà Nẵng, he sustained injuries from an enemy land mine, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart.
Matlovich’s time in Vietnam deeply influenced his perspective on race, as he worked alongside individuals from diverse backgrounds. This experience also became a turning point in his understanding of his own sexuality, beginning his journey toward self-acceptance.
Leonard Matlovich takes a stand
After completing his service in Vietnam, Leonard Matlovich became a race relations instructor and a drug abuse counselor back in the United States. It was during this time that he finally began to accept who he really was, visiting gay bars and coming out to certain friends.
Things changed even more for Matlovich in March 1974, after he read an article by activist Frank Kameny in the Air Force Times, who was looking for a serviceman to challenge the gay ban in the US military. Matlovich reached out, and with his perfect service record was deemed an ideal fit.
With the help of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney David Addlestone, they came up with their plan. On March 6, 1975, Matlovich delivered a personal letter to his commanding officer at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, which read, in part, “I consider myself to be a homosexual and fully qualified for further military service. My almost twelve years of unblemished service supports this position.”
Military discharge
Leonard Matlovich had an exemplary service record, yet it had little impact on changing the US military’s firmly established policies at the time.
Although military regulations technically permitted him to continue serving, Matlovich was deemed unfit for duty after refusing to sign a document agreeing he would “never practice homosexuality again.” Consequently, he received a General Discharge (Under Honorable Conditions) in October 1975.
Matlovich then embarked on a lengthy legal battle seeking reinstatement. Ultimately, the US Air Force conceded, reinstating and promoting him, and offering a substantial settlement of $160,000. Matlovich accepted, realizing that further attempts to return would likely lead to another discharge.
Leonard Matlovich’s enduring legacy
Leonard Matlovich may have lost his military career, but he became an icon for gay rights. He was featured in Time magazine, the first time an openly-gay man was placed on the cover of a major publication. He continued to be an activist in the community, assisting in many different campaigns to prevent homosexual discrimination.
Tragically, in September 1986, Matlovich was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Despite the toll this and his treatment took on him, he continued his advocacy, particularly against President Ronald Reagan‘s response to the crisis.
On June 22, 1988, Matlovich died after suffering complications from the condition. He was buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC, as the US military wouldn’t allow his memorial headstone to be included among those at Arlington National Cemetery. It reads: “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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Matlovich’s grave now serves as a memorial to gay veterans, as well as a site of ceremony for gay rights activists.