Gay soldiers ww2

These were called “blue discharges,” a kind of middle ground between honorable and dishonorable. This rich boy had everything his heart desired, except the one thing that was most important- love. When new folk arrived on base, they introduced to others by their female names: “Mary, this is Kate” and “Ella, this is Gertrude”. Their exclusion from service and its remembrance for much of the 20th century have left a dark underbelly of misogyny, racism and homophobia.

The female form and ethnicity were easy enough for commanders to identify and preclude.

Gordon was in a relationship with Gilbert’s nephew, but when they met one another, they had a spark that was undeniable, and they began having a secret affair. The military officially rejected only about 4,000 to 5,000 men because of “psychopathic personality disorders” after examining nearly 18 million men, according to Allan Bérubé in his book “Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II.”

Gay women also enlisted.

Serious cases faced court-martial and discharge.

After the war, she heard about sex reassignment surgery and traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, where she obtained special permission to undergo a series of operations starting in 1951. Unfortunately, the doctors saw right through it, and he was given a clean bill of health. Scuttlebutt sparked the interest of naval commanders.

Once in the military, lesbians created social networks, with mannerisms and coded language aiding them in finding each other. Sex was easily available for those who wanted it. Australia, Canada and Great Britain all heeded “expert” warnings of the imminent dangers homosexuality posed, but the US rang the alarm louder than anyone else. Officials in women’s branches downplayed the importance of the stereotype that masculine women were lesbians in order to combat personnel shortages.

Both could be issued without a court-martial hearing, and because they were both printed on blue paper, they together became known as “blue discharges.” With WWII’s massive human mobilization, the military shifted from its practice of jailing soldiers accused of homosexuality (which required time-consuming, expensive court-martials) to simply deeming them psychologically unfit.

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