Sargento leonard matlovich biography
Leonard Matlovich Was the First Serviceman to Out Himself in Protest of the US Military’s Homophobic Regulations
Outside of his service during the Vietnam War, US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Leonard Matlovich fought a very different kind of battle, one against the military itself. His story gained international attention when, in 1975, he challenged the ban on homosexuality and publicly declared his sexual orientation.
Matlovich’s unwavering courage and the subsequent legal fight he waged left an indelible mark on the struggle for equality.
Leonard Matlovich’s early life
Leonard Matlovich was born into the US military, literally, on July 6, 1943 – his birth occurred on Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia, as his father was a retired sergeant in the US Air Force. Much of his childhood was spent on military bases, as his family moved to different ones throughout the southern states.
Matlovich was raised Catholic, and even attended the religious Bishop England High School while livi