October 22, 1975
Air Force Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, was given a “general” discharge by the air force after publicly declaring his homosexuality on the cover to Time Magazine. In 1979, after winning a much-publicized case against the air force, his discharge was upgraded to “honorable.” In 1988, Matlovich died at of complications from AIDS. He was buried with full military honors at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. His tombstone reads, “A gay Vietnam Veteran. When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”
October 22, 1995
Native American groups protested at the World Series opener claiming that the use of Indian mascots and symbols by the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians encourages racism and stereotyping. “We’re the only race of people that has sports mascots and sports teams named after them,” said Ken Rhyne, a co-director of the American Indian Movement.”If it was the Atlanta Negros, the Atlanta Hispanics, any situation like that, the stadium would be burned down overnight.”
