Profile picture
Maggie Baez 🇺🇸🇵🇷 @MsWitsEnd
, 7 tweets, 5 min read Read on Twitter
🏳️‍🌈TODAY’S PRIDE HERO🏳️‍🌈
Leonard P. Matlovich (1943-1988)
Vietnam War Veteran, Purple Heart & Bronze Star recipient
Civil Rights Activist
"Maybe not in my lifetime, but we are going to win in the end."
(Photo cred: Ted Sahl)
#LGBTVoices
If you are LGBTQ in the military, thank US Air Force Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich for the gigantic 1st step.
In March 1975, Matlovich gave his commanding officers a letter outing himself as a homosexual.
Photo Cred: Leonard Matlovich Papers
#LGBTVoices
He did this to challenge the military ban on gays. He didn't shy away from a battle - not in Vietnam where he earned the Purple Heart and not for equality. He graced the cover of Time Magazine in uniform. He became a symbol.
Photo Cred: Ted Thai
#LGBTVoices
Matlovich would speak against the repeal of nondiscrimination laws and against the attempt to ban gay teachers in California.
Photo Cred: leonardmatlovich.com
#LGBTVoices
In 1986, he was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. That didn't stop him from speaking up. He rallied and protested against the Reagan Administration and its abysmal response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
#LGBTVoices
In 1988, Leonard Matlovich died of complications from HIV/AIDS. By his own design, his tombstone does not bear his name. He is buried at the Washington DC Congressional Cemetery.
Photo Cred: leonardmatlovich.com
#LGBTVoices
While we continue to celebrate PRIDE, do not forget those who set the milestones before us. Thank You Technical Sergeant Matlovich for your service.
#LGBTVoices
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Maggie Baez 🇺🇸🇵🇷
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

Related hashtags

#LGBTVoices

More from @MsWitsEnd see all

Profile picture
🏳️‍🌈TODAY’S PRIDE HERO🏳️‍🌈
Sylvia Rivera (1951-2002)
Co-Founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR)
Member of the Gay Liberation Front and Gay Activists Alliance

(Photo courtesy of Legacy Project) #LGBTVoices
Sylvia Rivera was an American gay & transgender activist. Of Puerto Rican & Venezuelan descent, she was born/raised in New York City. Homeless at 11, Sylvia earned her pedigree on NYC streets as a drag queen and sex worker.
Photo Credit: Kay Lahusen #LGBTVoices
She fought for Civil Rights, against Vietnam War and for Women's Rights. At Stonewall, she was one of our voices. Admittedly, I'd not heard of Sylvia when I drew her name for our #LGBTVoices project.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Justin Sutcliffe)
Read 7 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
🏳️‍🌈TODAY’S PRIDE HERO🏳️‍🌈
Sally Ride
(May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012)

Sally Ride was an American physicist & astronaut. On June 18, 1983, she became the first American woman in space as part of the space shuttle Challenger mission.

#LGBTVoices
#PrideMonth
Sally was born and grew up in CA. She obtained her PhD from Stanford in Physics.

Ride was one of 8,000 people who answered an ad in the Stanford student newspaper seeking female applicants for the space program. She was 1 of 35 women chosen by NASA in 1978.

#LGBTVoices
#Pride
After traveling to space during the Challenger mission in 1983 and 1984, Sally became the inspiration for several generations of girls,(including yours, truly) to follow their science and technology dreams, an area that had been long deemed "boys only."

#LGBTVoices
#PrideMonth
Read 13 tweets
Profile picture
🏳️‍🌈TODAY’S PRIDE HERO🏳️‍🌈

Lynn Ann Conway
Born January 2, 1938

Lynn is an American computer scientist, electrical engineer, inventor, and transgender activist
@lynnconway

#LGBTVoice
Lynn grew up in White Plains, New York. Conway was shy and experienced gender dysphoria as a child. She became fascinated and engaged by astronomy and did well in math and science in high school.
Lynn is notable for a number of pioneering achievements, including the Mead & Conway revolution in VLSI design, which incubated an emerging electronic design automation industry.
Read 20 tweets
Profile picture
🏳️‍🌈TODAY’S PRIDE HERO🏳️‍🌈
James “John” Finley Gruber (1928 - 2011)

James Gruber was an original member, co-founder, and helped name the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest homophile organizations in the United States.
#LGBTVoices
James considered himself bisexual. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1946 at the age of 18, was honorably discharged in 1949. Gruber met & began a relationship with Konrad Stevens. He attended meetings of an early homophile organization called the “Society of Fools”
James Gruber, following a conversation with Harry Hay about Medieval masque troops known as “mattachines” and suggested renaming the “Society of Fools” to Mattachine Society. The Mattachine Society was a single national organization headquartered in Los Angeles.
Read 6 tweets
Profile picture
🏳️‍🌈TODAY’S PRIDE HERO🏳️‍🌈
Bayard Rustin (1912 – 1987)

For more than 50 years, Rustin was a strategist and activist in the struggle for civil rights and gay rights.

He is best remembered as being the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.

#LGBTVoices
Rustin left the Communist party in 1941 & served as the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s race relations secretary. He was a pacifist & practiced nonviolence, a method he learned while working with Gandhi. He was imprisoned for 3 years for refusing to register for the WWII draft.
In 1947, he helped plan the first “freedom ride” in the South, challenging ongoing Jim Crow practices though ruled illegal in 1946. His efforts landed him on a chain gang. He reported on the experience which spurred an investigation leading to the abolition of chain gangs in NC.
Read 10 tweets
Profile picture
Mr. Mueller’s lifetime of service reflects his commitment to serving the American people with honor, integrity and courage.
As a young man, Mr. Mueller served with distinction in the Vietnam War and was awarded a Bronze Star, 2 Navy Commendation Medals, the Purple Heart and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for his leadership and exemplary service.
He received the Bronze Star for “heroic achievement” after leading his fellow Marines through an eight-hour battle, where, under enemy fire...
Read 13 tweets
Profile picture
I love that on #InternationalWomensDay we take the time to celebrate women, it's brilliant. What would be even more brilliant is if we did this every day. For the next 365 days, I am going to add a Tweet a day in celebration of women from around the world 🌍 Let's get started 👇
Day 1: @drpriaero is an Aerospace Engineer / Senior Research Associate at @UniofOxford's Department of Engineering Science, researching fluid dynamics & thermodynamics of jet engines 🚀 #IWD2018 #IWDEveryDay
Day 2: @monicasarbu created @packetbeat, an open source data shipper, before joining forces with @elastic to lead the Beats team. She's a mum while at it too 💪 #IWD2018 #IWDEveryDay
Read 166 tweets

Trending hashtags

#LGBTVoices #justice #WhiteSupremacy #MphoTutuVanFurth #American #EqualPayAct #PacificCoast #Palestine #neutrality #interventionist #TX22 #Executive #AliceWalker #religion #Bruyeres #Krishna #WhyElectionsMatter #homophobia #WI06 #pridemonth #IWDEveryDay #NFL #ethical #ReproRights #LyinTed

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member and get exclusive features!

Premium member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year)

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!