For gay upl hopg for a ary burial, the fight for love don't end wh ath | CNN

Contents:

• THE HISTORY BEHD FAMO ‘GAY VIETNAM VETERAN’ HEADSTONE
• "COMG OUT UNR FIRE": THE STORY OF GAY AND LBIAN SERVICEMEMBERS
• A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER
• FOR GAY UPL HOPG FOR A ARY BURIAL, THE FIGHT FOR LOVE DON’T END WH ATH
• LEONARD MATLOVICH: THE GAY MILARY HERO YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF
• THE NAVY GAVE A GAY MAN A HOME—AND A ‘BAD PAPER’ DISCHARGE THAT HNTED HIM FOR DES
• THE HISTORY BEHD FAMO ‘GAY VIETNAM VETERAN’ HEADSTONE
• GAY SERGEANT CHALLENG THE AIR FORCE

THE HISTORY BEHD FAMO ‘GAY VIETNAM VETERAN’ HEADSTONE

Sipple, a closeted gay veteran who’d served Vietnam, was walkg through Unn Square San Francis when he noticed a large crowd at the St. After learng he was gay, his fay disowned him.

”And while many of the plot’s occupants were Foundg Fathers or lawmakers om the Revolutnary War era, there is one more recently terred man whose tombstone is noteworthy bee don’t actually bear his Force tech sergeant, LGBTQIA+ advote, and HIV/AIDS activist Leonard Matlovich is buried the Congrsnal Cemetery beneath a grave stone that simply reads, “A Gay Vietnam Veteran. He published a memo March 1975, after 12 years the Air Force, announcg his g out as a gay man.

“After some years of uncertaty I have arrived at the ncln that my sexual preferenc are homosexual as opposed to heterosexual, ” Matlovich wrote to his mandg officer. “Durg his admistrative discharge hearg, Matlovich was asked by an attorney if he would be willg sign a document pledgg to ‘never practice homosexualy aga’ orr to rema the ary, ” acrdg to Air Force history.

"COMG OUT UNR FIRE": THE STORY OF GAY AND LBIAN SERVICEMEMBERS

”Comg out, however, ma Matlovich to a major player what would bee the gay rights movement, even landg him — uniform — on the ver of a September 1975 TIME magaze issue alongsi a headle that read “I Am a Homosexual. Instead, Matlovich beme a gay rights activist the fight for the equal treatment of the LGBTQIA+ muny until his ath.

Gay and Lbian soldiers faced extraordary discrimatn durg World War II.

A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER

Liebman and more than 9, 000 Amerin servicemembers, however, eventually were given a Sectn 8 "blue discharge" for beg homosexual. The 1994 documentary Comg Out Unr Fire giv voice to the experienc of thoands of gay and lbian servicemembers who joed the ary durg World War II, a story that is largely ignored by historians and mms across the untry. In 1993, the Uned Stat was batg the discrimatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regardg homosexuals the morn ary.

At the time, homosexualy was classified as a mental illns by the medil muny; mental illns was one ndn that disqualified young people om service. Gay and lbian recs were forced to answer qutns vaguely, or lie about their sexualy, orr to be allowed to serve; otherwise, they would n the risk of beg sent home and brand as “sex perverts.

By the middle of the war, the ary sought new ways to target and expel homosexuals. Instead of chargg dividuals wh sodomy, a urt-martialed offense, the ary began intifyg spected homosexuals as psychopaths.

FOR GAY UPL HOPG FOR A ARY BURIAL, THE FIGHT FOR LOVE DON’T END WH ATH

Such a move created an efficient system of discrimatn and prosecutn of homosexual members of the ary.

We were gay. Dpe the threat of persecutn, gay and lbian servicemembers thrived durg World War II. The new iendships gave gay and lbian GIs refuge om the hostily that surround them and allowed for a distct subculture to velop wh the ary.

Servicemembers on every waront enjoyed drag show entertament; an entire gay lexin was veloped om the wrgs of Dorothy Parker; and eventually an unrground queer newspaper emerged.

LEONARD MATLOVICH: THE GAY MILARY HERO YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF

Soldiers reprented female characters ary plays, and some homosexual soldiers found refuge om rigid genr rol. The irony that the ary selected two homosexuals to reprent the ial image of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps was not lost on Abry.

Eisenhower signed Executive Orr 10450, which banned homosexuals om feral employment. Over 5, 000 feral employe lost their jobs over accatns of homosexualy.

THE NAVY GAVE A GAY MAN A HOME—AND A ‘BAD PAPER’ DISCHARGE THAT HNTED HIM FOR DES

The feral discrimatory actns drove LGBTQ people further to the shadows of society and embolned law enforcement and policians, who beme more vlent toward gay and lbian cizens. Patrons of the gay bar fought back and sparked a vlent uprisg that started the gay rights movement the Uned Stat.

Gay and lbian veterans of World War II beme some of the first to fight ary discrimatn and blue discharg the years followg the war.

My only hope is that anizatns around the untry m to pturg the voic of gay, lbian, and transgenr veterans and that we fd a place our history to honor their service as well. We sat down wh Sir John Dermot Turg, Alan Turg’s nephew and thor of a new book on Bletchley Park, to discs his uncle’s role pivotal role puter science and his persecutn for beg gay the 1950s.

THE HISTORY BEHD FAMO ‘GAY VIETNAM VETERAN’ HEADSTONE

Wartime film star Patsy Kelly's most fiant act was beg an openly gay woman an hospable climate for the LGBTQIA+ muny. 'A Perfect Soldier': Rememberg A Warrr In The Battle Agast Homophobia.

In 1975, Leonard Matlovich appeared on the ver of Time to challenge the ary ban on gay service members.

GAY SERGEANT CHALLENG THE AIR FORCE

His name was clearly visible on his Air Force uniform, and the headle read: "I Am a Homosexual. " Matlovich — who had e out a letter to his mandg officer before the ver ran — was challengg the ary ban on gay service members.

"He said, 'Well, you know, they're lookg for a ndidate to challenge the gays the ary laws.... Jeff Dupre (right) and his hband, David Phillips, durg a recent vis to StoryCorps, where Dupre talked about his iend and gay activist Leonard Matlovich. He was glancg up, shy ey, curly hair, wh the headle: 'I Am a Homosexual.