Intro Text
In July 1975, TIME magazine featured Air Force Tech. Sgt. Leonard Matlovich on its cover with the headline, “I Am A Homosexual.” He was the first openly gay man to appear on the cover of a national publication.
Jeff Dupre was Leonard’s friend.
He came to StoryCorps with his husband David to remember this historic moment.
Transcript:
Jeff Dupre (JD): I don’t know a lot of people that called him Leonard. Everyone called him Mat. I met him at a Thanksgiving dinner. We were sitting in the living room and we were watching Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving Day.
He didn’t say too much at all until, um, someone started saying, “Mat what are you up to?” And that’s when Mat opened up.
He said, “Well you know they’re looking for a candidate to challenge the gays in the military laws. They’re looking for an officer preferably, someone who has a good record to make it legal to be in the service and be open. I’ve got these awards from the service, I think I can do it.”
And the guy said, “Mat, no way. You’re too quiet. You’re not out. You’re not ready for that.” Well, the subject changed, and that was about it for that day.
David Phillips (DP): Tell me about the day you saw him on the cover of Time magazine.
(JD): I mean it was pretty wild. There it was on the rack. He was glancing up, shiny eyes, curly hair, with the headline: “I Am A Homosexual.” And I just stared at it. I just couldn’t believe it. I think even the NBC and the CBS news put that cover on their TV that night.
And, when he called, all I could do was tell him how proud I was of him. And then I didn’t hear from him for a while. And, he died of AIDS.
He was young, 44 years old. I didn’t even know he was sick. Before he died, he was discharged. He lost everything, you know. No benefits, no nothing.
He was buried in DC, and uh, his headstone does not have his name on it. It strictly says “A gay Vietnam veteran” And, uh, the inscription on it is “When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”
He, he was the epitome of a perfect soldier, one of those people that stuck his neck out. And he was proud to be the person to challenge that law.
Outro text:
In memory of Tech. Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, United States Air Force.
