Tailgate latch system

A tailgate system comprising:

• a pickup truck comprising a forward section comprising a truck cab, a rear section comprising a cargo area comprising a left bedside having a left bedside rear, a right bedside having a right bedside rear, a cargo area bottom comprising a truck bed, the truck bed comprising a bed front, a bed rear, a bed left side and a bed right side;
• a tailgate located at the bed rear and comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a tailgate thickness extending from the front surface to the rear surface, a tailgate interior, a tailgate left side, a tailgate right side, a tailgate width extending from the tailgate left side to the tailgate right side and generally perpendicular to the tailgate thickness, a tailgate top, a tailgate bottom, a tailgate height extending from the tailgate top to the tailgate bottom and generally perpendicular to the tailgate width and tailgate thickness, the tailgate hingedly attached to the left bedside and the right bedside by a hinge located adjacent to the tailgate bottom, the tailgate configured to pivot along a tailgate pivot axis from an upright position in which the tailgate front surface is generally perpendicular to the truck bed and faces the cargo area to a lowered position in which the tailgate is generally parallel to the truck bed,
• a tailgate gate latch system comprising a button located on the tailgate rear surface or tailgate front surface, at least one striker pin located on at least one of the left bedside adjacent to the left bedside rear and the right bedside adjacent to the right bedside rear, at least one rotary latch configured to releasably engage the at least one striker pin and prevent the tailgate from moving relative to the at least one striker pin, and at least one rotatable rod connected to the rotary latch and having a proximal end, a distal end, and a rotatable rod length generally parallel to the tailgate width,
• wherein the tailgate pivot axis is generally parallel to the tailgate width,
• wherein the at least one rotary latch is configured to releasably engage the at least one striker pin and maintain the tailgate in the upright position,
• wherein, when the tailgate is in the upright position, actuating the button is configured to cause the at least one rotatable rod to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise from a start position about a rod pivot axis generally parallel to the tailgate pivot axis and cause the at least one latch to disengage from the striker pin, thereby causing the tailgate to move from the upright position to the lowered position.