On Oct. 22, 1975, Leonard Matlovich was discharged from the United States Air Force because he was gay. For the rest of his life he became an activist for gay rights and an advocate for respect in the military.

The story reached national attention when Time Magazine featured Matlovich on its cover, dressed in his military uniform, along with the headline "I Am A Homosexual."

This week, in a special one-on-one episode of Noon Edition, we spoke with Michael Bedwell, a historian, activist and friend of Matlovich.

On Oct. 22, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Time cover, Bedwell will present as part of an event at the Lilly Library in Bloomington.