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        • Return to British Rule
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      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
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WWII and the Progress of the LGBTQ Culture: The Queer Soldier

6/26/2019

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by Hanna Bobrowicz
Picture
It has been 75 years since the Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, and 50 years since the riots at the Stonewall Inn, yet these events remain unconnected in popular consciousness. To commemorate the Normandy invasion, images of young male soldiers are abundant, and gallant stories of tragedy, danger, and heroism abound.
(continued) Yet, as these young soldiers were facing danger and potential death, many were also making key discoveries about their sexual identity. As Pride celebrations continue throughout the month of June, this article will revisit the influence the Second World War had on defining queer communities in the United States. 

The war provided a unique opportunity for queer men and women to meet one another for the first time. One veteran reflected; “in the recreation hall, for instance, there’d be eye contact, and pretty soon you’d get to know one or two people and kept branching out. All of a sudden you had a vast network of friends, usually through this eye contact thing...you could get away with it in that atmosphere.” It is the migratory aspect of the war that allowed a reckoning of gender conformity to occur. Upon the outbreak of war 15 million people crossed state lines, while millions of men also enlisted in the army. Independence and migration granted self-discovery and because of this many began to understand their sexuality and find communities of people similar to them. 

When Lisa Ben left her small town for the larger city of Los Angeles during the Second World War, she hadn’t come out as gay. It wasn’t until she rented her own room, and began to socialize with her neighbors that she embraced her sexuality.

Lisa reflected on this time, “They asked me ‘do you like boys, or do you go out strictly with girls?’ And I said, ‘If I had my rathers, I’d go out strictly with girls,’ they said, ‘Have you always felt this way?’ and I said, ‘Yes,’ and they said, ‘Well, then you’re like we are’ and I said, “You mean, you’re like that?”’ This moment of similarity and acceptance solidified a larger movement of change. As people began to form bonds during the Second World War, the concept of queerness was being articulated and defined in mainstream America for the first time. 
​
A similar occurrence of exploration and acceptance was facilitated by the American military. A soldier’s induction into the military began with a physical, in which they were asked if they were homosexuals. This question not only demonstrates how important sexual orientation was to the United States government but also forced men joining the war to label themselves. Suddenly those who were unsure of their sexuality began to contemplate their sexual identity for the first time. This, in combination with camaraderie, traumatic experiences and a release from conventional society created kinship between soldiers that were often loving.
James Lord, author of My Queer War reflects that the US army had a ‘gay world built into it.’ For example, a queer culture was created in a US camp in New Caledonia. Men who often identified as feminine would call themselves ‘belles’ and go by alternate names, like ‘sea biscuit’, or ‘Canteen Mary.’ Others simply conducted their affairs in public, refusing to live in the shadows with their male partners. It wasn’t until rumors started to spread back to the United States that the army began to forcibly remove gay men from the military. These men, known as blue angels, were discharged and often mandated into psychiatric hospitals as homosexuality was considered a mental illness.  

​
Despite being desperate for men, and exploiting the labor of gay soldiers the United States Army was only tolerant of queer behavior when it was hidden. Officially, the United States Army deemed homosexuality to be an illness that prevented effective service. Therefore, many gay men were forced out of the military and excluded from the narrative of heroism that is still celebrated today. In addition to discrimination and exploitation, gay soldiers also experienced personal tragedies that went unrecognized by the popular public. Couples were separated into different units, if they were killed in combat, gay soldiers had no legitimate means to mourn. This meant many men grieved in solitude, forced to internalize their sadness in order to prevent themselves from being outed. 
​
Though the Second World War has been enshrined into popular culture, the narrative of the gay soldier is still not included. Instead contemporary books, documentaries, and feature films continue to portray the World War II soldier as the emblem of masculinity; straight, white and courageous. Therefore, despite the growing support surrounding Pride month, history still remains empty of queer narratives. While Pride and D-Day celebrations appear to inhabit different spheres, queer people and their stories exist in all corners of history. We at Pacific Atrocities not only want to acknowledge the brave heroes and heroines who served their country and their communities, but also to include the remarkable achievements of queer people in this narrative. They deserve to be honored and respected by their communities for the brave and courageous contributions they made to ending the Second World War.
References: 
  1. "Coming Out Under Fire." In My Desire for History: Essays in Gay, Community, and Labor History, edited by D’Emilio John and Freedman Estelle B., by BÉRUBÉ ALLAN, 100-12. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011. doi:10.5149/9780807877982_berube.9.
  2. "Marching to a Different Drummer: Lesbian and Gay GIs in World War II." In My Desire for History: Essays in Gay, Community, and Labor History, edited by D’Emilio John and Freedman Estelle B., by BÉRUBÉ ALLAN, 85-99. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011. doi:10.5149/9780807877982_berube.8.
  3. ‘Belles in Battle: how Queer US soldiers found a place to express themselves in World War II.’ The Conversation, by Yorick Smaal. Griffith University. https://theconversation.com/belles-in-battle-how-queer-us-soldiers-found-a-place-to-express-themselves-in-wwii-88019 ​

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  • Home
    • About >
      • FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
    • Support Us >
      • Projects you can support! >
        • Distributing Books
        • Presenting at 112th Annual Meeting of Pacific Coast Branch
        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
    • Contact
  • Stories
    • Videos >
      • Black Hearts (2021)
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
  • Internship
    • Summer 2023 Internship
    • Fall 2022 Internship
    • Summer 2022 Internship
    • Summer 2021 Internship
    • Fall 2020- Spring 2021 Internship
    • Summer 2020 Internship
    • Fall 2019 Internship
    • Summer 2019 Internship >
      • Public History Night
    • School Year 2018-2019 Internship
    • Summer 2018 Internship >
      • 2018 Summer Showcase + Fundraiser
    • Fall 2017 Internship
    • Summer 2017 Internship >
      • 2017 Summer Showcase & Fundraiser
  • Books
  • Archives
  • Resource Page
    • Supplementary Research Guides >
      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
        • Post War
      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
        • Background of Formosa
        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
        • Taiwan under Kuomintang
        • New Taiwanese National Identity
      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Introduction of Wang Xuan
        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
      • Rice and Revolution - Guide >
        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
        • The Rise of the Communist Movement
        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
        • The Famine (1944-45)
        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
Contribute