MGH & Studs Terkel: Episode 7: Leonard Matlovich

Making Gay History | LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive

Making Gay History

Sexuality, Personal Journals, Health & Fitness, History, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2020

⏱️ 23 minutes

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Summary

When Leonard Matlovich was thrown out of the Air Force for being gay, he sued for reinstatement. It was 1975 and it was the first case of its kind. Hear the LGBTQ rights pioneer—and startlingly frank one-time racist—in conversation with Studs Terkel. Visit our episode webpage for background information, archival photos, and other resources. For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our ⁠Patreon community⁠. ——— To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I history
0:02.0	Eric here
0:03.0	A few months ago we launched Making Gay History's Patreon channel
0:06.0	a place where we're sharing new video interviews
0:09.0	Never Before Heard Clips from my archive
0:11.0	that didn't make it into the episodes and more.
0:14.0	If you're not a member of our Patreon community yet, I hope you'll join today.
0:18.4	Just $5 a month gets you access to these Making Gay History extras, and you'll support us as we work to bring LGBTQ history to life
0:26.1	through the voices of the people who lived it.
0:28.7	Find out more at patreon.com slash Making Gay History.
0:32.4	Or go to making gay history
0:33.8	and click on the link in our home page banner and thank you so much I'm Eric Marcus and this is making gay history.
0:57.0	In September 1975, a stunning issue of Time magazine hit the newsstands.
1:03.4	On the cover was the photo of a young man wearing his Air Force uniform.
1:07.5	His name tag said, Matlevich, and the huge headline read,
1:11.7	I am a homosexual.
1:13.8	I had just started my senior year at Hillcrest High School in Queens, New York.
1:17.8	By then I knew I was gay too, but I would have died before admitting it to anyone,
1:22.1	and I sure wouldn't have announced it on the cover of a magazine with millions of readers.
1:25.6	I'd like to think I admired Leonard Matlovich for his courage, but it's more likely that I thought he was crazy.
1:31.8	I never got to interview Leonard. He died by the time
1:35.2	I started work on the original Making Gay History book. But Studs Circle did, and I'm glad we
	...

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