Matlovich

Library Journal

In 1975, Air Force Sergeant Leonard Matlovich told his superiors that he was a homosexual, thus becoming the first person to challenge the military's antigay policies and the first openly gay person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. His case (won on narrow grounds) put him into the spotlight as gay spokesperson and hero, yet his conservative Goldwater politics made him a controversial figure and kept him estranged from the movement's leadership. Still, he remained active in the movement. Matlovich died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1988. This biography reads like an extended article in a Sunday newspaper magazine supplement, yet Matlovich's unique place in gay history will require most public libraries to purchase it. Pictures and index not seen.-- James E. Cook, Dayton & Montgomery Cty. P.L., Ohio