Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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In 1975, Tech. Sgt. Leonard Matlovich — known to friends as Mat — appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, challenging the military’s ban on gay service members. He was the first openly gay man to appear on the cover of a national publication. At StoryCorps, his friend, Jeff Dupre, remembers meeting Mat — and the quiet courage that led him to make history.

NOTE: Sgt. Leonard Matlovich's Bronze Star was incorrectly rendered as a Silver Star in the animation we posted on Saturday, June 28th. This is the corrected version of the animation.

Directed by
Celia Bullwinkel

Executive Producers
Michael Garofalo
Rachel Hartman
Dave Isay

Producer
Savannah Winchester

Senior Audio Producer
Michael Garofalo

Audio Produced by
Nadia Reiman

Supervising Sound Recordist
Gautam Srikishan
Von Diaz

Audio Mixed By
Jarrett Floyd

Animation by
Ace & Son Moving Picture Co., LLC

Producer & Editor
Richard O’Connor

Storyboard
Natalie Greene

Animation & Design
Celia Bullwinkel

Title Card
Ana Sophia Navía López

Original Music
Joshua Abrams

Music Performed by
Joshua Abrams
Hamid Drake
Marquis Hill
Emmett Kelly
Adam Thornburg

Music Mixed by
Joshua Abrams
Neil Strauch

Outro Music by
“Nirvana” by Chris Zabriskie
From the Album Undercover Vampire Policeman
Published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track

Special Thanks
Jeff Dupre
David Phillips

In Partnership with
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress
NPR
POV

Original Production Funding Provided by
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
A private corporation funded by the American people.

Copyright © StoryCorps 2025. All Rights Reserved.