Over Two Decades Since Gay Activist Leonard Matlovich's Death, Has America Changed?

     This is the headstone of Leonard Matlovich, 1980s gay activist, who fought discrimination against gays in the military and those with HIV/AIDS.  He died twenty-two years ago, yesterday.  When I posted this picture months ago, in my own ignorance, I knew nothing about Matlovich's struggle.

     Sadly, our nation knows very little about him either and has not learned from its past.  Don't Ask Don't Tell continues to be the law of the land.  Misconceptions about HIV/AID and homosexuality continue to fuel prejudice that is written into health policy and law.

     Below is a video about Matlovich's brave controbutions and sacrifice for the United States of America and the movement for equality of all.  Watch and learn.

Image via Towleroad

     Without the work of Matlovich, Milk, and countless other brave LGBT persons, America never would have arrived at a day when the U.S. Secretary of State could proclaim what Secretary Hillary Clinton did to State Department employees recently:

     Just as I was very proud to say the obvious more than 15 years ago in Beijing that human rights are women’s rights — and women’s rights are human rights — let me say today that human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights.