Episode 23: WWII and the Progress of the LGBTQ Culture - The Queer Soldier

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. 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. 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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pacific-atrocities-education/support