World war 2 gay soldiers

Stephen Bourne reveals some of the varied experiences of homosexual men who served in the armed forces during the Second World War. In , the heroic Battle of Britain pilot Flight Lieutenant Ian Gleed published a memoir called Arise to Conquer. Anti-sodomy laws and regulations had been around since the Revolutionary War, leading in some cases to dishonorable discharge, courts-martial, or imprisonment for military men found having sex with other men. However, until , no specific proviso barred homosexuals from serving in the military. With the growing acceptance of the validity of psychoanalysis in the medical profession in the s and s, attitudes towards sodomy and homosexual individuals had changed.

Soldiers separated from their loved ones during World War II gazed at photographs of their sweethearts, and wrote love letters in the hopes that one day, they would be reunited and start a family. During WWII and beyond, blue ticket discharges carried powerful stigma—and serious negative consequences. Last Updated: May 27, In May , Lemuel S.

During World War II, out of some 18 million potential enlistees, the military only identified between 4, and 5, homosexuals, a severe undercount, estimates Bérubé. Military scientists. Discussion in ' Service Records ' started by Callisto , Jan 11, Log in or Sign up. A few passing mentions in obituaries to the proclivities of individuals who had seen war service, got me thinking.

Britain had a relatively laissez-faire attitude toward LGBT people serving in the military during the Second World War. He exchanged hundreds of letters with his sweetheart - who merely signed with the initial "G". But more than 70 years later, it was discovered that G stood for Gordon, and Gilbert had been in love with a man. At the time, not only was homosexuality illegal, but those in the armed forces could be shot for having gay sex.