Sgt. Leonard Matlovich was a Vietnam War veteran, race relations instructor, and recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. His photograph appeared on the cover of the Sept. 8, 1975, issue of Time magazine with a cover headline that read: "I am a homosexual."
For a community still very young and without any national presence, Matlovitch was an instant symbol of courage for gay people around the country. His legal battle to stay in the United States Air Force after coming out of the closet was closely followed and documented by the media.
He was eventually discharged, but he never stopped fighting for full equality. He remained an activist until his death due to complications from HIV/AIDS on June 22, 1988, a month before his 45th birthday.
Matlovich's tombstone selflessly reads: A Gay Vietnam Veteran (in place of his name) and under this is a quote, "When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."
And while Matlovitch did not live to see the historic end of the "don't ask, don't tell' policy, his legacy gave today's LGBT citizens reason to believe that this country will eventually deliver full equality to all of us in every sector of our lives – from serving in the military to full marriage equality.
In this season of giving and hope, the government finally delivered on one of the promises our U.S. Constitution envisions for all its citizens. However, it was a bittersweet day since the DREAM Act did not manage to pass. For millions of people, defeat of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act) was a huge setback in dealing with immigration reform. It is hard to fully celebrate when fellow citizens are left out of the equality equation.
And so as we reflect during this holiday season, all of us here at BTL encourage our readers to think of some ways to act courageously and with compassion in the coming year, and to care about full social justice and fairness in our society. Find a way to give back – be an inspiration to those you have a chance to meet in your everyday life. Find an organization, a place where you can contribute to a cause. It all adds up in the end – even if we are not here to see it in person.
Looking forward, looking back
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