The right to a ary burial for gay spo was guaranteed natnwi wh the legalizatn of same-sex marriage 2015, but only a handful of known same-sex ary upl are buried across US natnal cemeteri. For most, the right to such an honor has been hard won.
Contents:
- THE HISTORY BEHD FAMO ‘GAY VIETNAM VETERAN’ HEADSTONE
- A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER
- GAY SERGEANT CHALLENG THE AIR FORCE
- LEONARD MATLOVICH: THE GAY MILARY HERO YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF
- MEET THE GAY VIETNAM VETERAN WHOSE GRAVE IS A BEAN FOR HOPE
- LEONARD MATLOVICH TOMBSTONE: GAY VIETNAM VETERAN'S GRAVE RURFAC IN REDD ONLE DISCSN (PHOTO)
- FOR GAY UPL HOPG FOR A ARY BURIAL, THE FIGHT FOR LOVE DON’T END WH ATH
THE HISTORY BEHD FAMO ‘GAY VIETNAM VETERAN’ HEADSTONE
Leonard Matlovich is buried the Congrsnal Cemeteray beneath a grave stone that reads, “A Gay Vietnam Veteran.” * a gay vietnam veteran *
”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.
A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER
When Leonard Matlovich showed up on Time wh the headle "I Am a Homosexual," shocked many. The rated Vietnam veteran spent the end of his life advotg agast anti-gay discrimatn. * a gay vietnam veteran *
”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. 'A Perfect Soldier': Rememberg A Warrr In The Battle Agast Homophobia.
GAY SERGEANT CHALLENG THE AIR FORCE
The Gay Milary Hero You've Probably Never Heard Of * a gay vietnam veteran *
In 1975, Leonard Matlovich appeared on the ver of Time to challenge the ary ban on gay service members. 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.
It strictly says, 'A gay Vietnam veteran, ' and the scriptn on is, 'When I was the ary they gave me a medal for killg two men and a discharge for lovg one. Larry Sanrs wr about servg the army, where he uld have been arrted for beg gay durg a very unpopular war.
LEONARD MATLOVICH: THE GAY MILARY HERO YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF
The day Larry Sanrs registered for the draft, one qutn buried the middle of a long qutnnaire smacked him the face: “Do you intify as a homosexual or ever had sexual feelgs for persons of the same sex? At the time Sanrs registered for the draft 1967, no one was clear about what happened to someone who admted beg gay.
When I registered for the draft jt a few years later, I was told not to say I was gay, bee they would make you prove . How do someone not datg anyone “prove” they’re gay?
He didn’t really intify as homosexual. And as a gay soldier, he didn’t particularly relate to those who served wh him.
MEET THE GAY VIETNAM VETERAN WHOSE GRAVE IS A BEAN FOR HOPE
And what about beg a gay soldier an army that forba ? The headstone belongg to a gay Vietnam veteran still today remas a poignant remr of the homophobia faced by the LGBTQ+ muny on a daily basis. He arranged for his own burial at Congrsnal Cemetery, and signed his tombstone which reads: “A Gay Vietnam Veteran.
Had Leonard Matlovich (1943–1988) never publicly admted his homosexualy to Air Force officials 1975 he might have retired om the ary and slipped quietly to oblivn. Instead, on March 6, 1975 wh 12 years of exemplary ary service, he wrote and livered a letter to his mandg officer which he openly admted his homosexualy. For thoands of gay and lbian Amerins, particularly durg the 25 years followg World War II, exprsg their homosexualy publicly remaed unthkable.
That changed one warm June night 1969 when a route police raid agast the Stonewall Inn, a private gay club New York’s Greenwich Village, met wh unexpected opposn.
LEONARD MATLOVICH TOMBSTONE: GAY VIETNAM VETERAN'S GRAVE RURFAC IN REDD ONLE DISCSN (PHOTO)
The men who had always been easily targeted for their homosexualy cid to fight back. The movement for gay rights was still young 1975 when Leonard Matlovich revealed his sexual orientatn a letter to his mandg officer. Emblazoned across his cht bold black letters, acrdg to The New York Tim, on September 19, 1975, was the ptn, “I Am a Homosexual.
Tryg to supprs the sexual clatns he nsired aberrant behavr, Matlovich joed fellow soldiers who mocked homosexuals.
That was when he began equentg gay bars. “I met a bank print, a gas statn attendant—they were all homosexual, ” Matlovich relled for Oelsner. Matlovich gradually me to believe that the discrimatn faced by Ain Amerins was siar to the persecutn that homosexuals endured.
FOR GAY UPL HOPG FOR A ARY BURIAL, THE FIGHT FOR LOVE DON’T END WH ATH
” Matlovich ntend that the ary was full of homosexuals bee he ran to them when he spent evengs one dance club Norfolk.
The issue of homosexualy the ary was brought to the foreont bee of Matlovich’s nfsn. ” Six months after he openly admted his homosexualy, Matlovich was out of the Air Force, nsired unf for ary service by a three-member panel.
His admissn had tapulted him to the role of a natnal hero for the e of gay and lbian rights. Air Force Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a rated veteran of the Vietnam War, is given a “general” discharge by the air force after publicly clarg his homosexualy. Matlovich, who appeared his air force uniform on the ver of Time magaze above the headle “I AM A HOMOSEXUAL, ” was challengg the ban agast homosexuals the U.