[News] [USA] National LGBT Veterans Memorial planned at Congressional Cemetery

[Stephanie Stevens]

LGBTQ Nation, USA


Filed: Tuesday, August 7, 2012

National LGBT Veterans Memorial planned at Congressional Cemetery

Staff Reports


WASHINGTON — A national memorial honoring Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender veterans representing the five armed services — Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard — is slated to be constructed
on the grounds of the historic Congressional Cemetery in southeast
Washington D.C.

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Russell, chair of the
National LGBT Veterans Memorial (NLGBTVM) board of directors,
announced plans for the memorial last week.

[Photo: Gravesite of SSGT Leonard Matlovich, USAF, at the
Congressional Cemetery in Washington. Matlovich died in 1988.]

“The time has come for those of us who were forced to serve in silence
to honor our fellow veterans with a dignified and impressive memorial
in our national capitol. The National LGBT Veterans Memorial will
provide a fitting resting place where our veterans may, as Leonard
Matlovich urged us to do, ‘leave a lasting record of our
accomplishments,’” said Russell, in a statement.

In 1975, Matlovich, a U.S. Air Force veteran was discharged as the
first gay service member to purposely out himself to the military in
protest of the ban on openly gay and lesbian service members.

His case resulted in articles in newspapers and magazines throughout
the country, numerous television interviews, and his photograph
appeared on the cover of the September 8, 1975, issue of Time
magazine, making him a symbol for thousands of gay and lesbian service
members. Matlovich was the first openly gay person to appear on the
cover of a U.S. newsmagazine.

The Congressional Cemetery ,or Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a
historic cemetery located on the west bank of the Anacostia River.
Over 55,000 individuals are buried or memorialized at the cemetery,
including many who helped form the nation and the city of Washington.

Though the cemetery is privately owned, the U.S. government owns 806
burial plots administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and
Congress.

Many members of the U.S. Congress who died while Congress was in
session are interred at Congressional.

Russell also said that board and supporters are hoping to unveil the
National LGBT Memorial on Memorial Day 2014.

“The concept behind this project is to create a place where military
veterans can proudly proclaim their service to their country as the
lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person they are,” according to
the project’s website <http://www.nlgbtvm.org/> .

“If they qualify for burial in a national cemetery, they cannot
declare their sexuality on their tombstone. Because we have served in
silence and often been persecuted for our sexuality, it is important
to many of us to openly proclaim for all the world to see that we did
our duty and we did it well.”

Donations are tax deductible and qualified current or former members
of the military can purchase memorial urns or bricks to commemorate
their service.


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