Read the stori of four men and women who intified as lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr that ntributed to help Bra durg the First World War
Contents:
- HOW WWI SPARKED THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT
- THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE GAY SOLDIERS WHO SERVED THE FIRST WORLD WAR
- THE FOTTEN GAY SOLDIERS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
HOW WWI SPARKED THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Discrimatn and persecutn has led to gay soldiers of the Great War beg seen as tragic figur, but this was not always the se * world war 1 gay soldiers *
One of the World War I’s most endurg legaci is largely fotten: It sparked the morn gay rights movement. Gay soldiers who survived the bloodlettg returned home nvced their ernments owed them somethg – full cizenship. Especially Germany, where gay rights already had a tenuo footg, they formed new anizatns to advote public for their rights.
THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE GAY SOLDIERS WHO SERVED THE FIRST WORLD WAR
* world war 1 gay soldiers *
Though the movement that lled self “homosexual emancipatn” began the 19th century, my rearch and that of historian Jason Crouthamel shows that the war turned the 19th-century movement to gay rights as we know today.
The Scientific Humanarian Commtee was then the world’s leadg homosexual emancipatn group, boastg a membership of about 100 people. Homosexualy meant the loss of one’s job, social ostracism, the risk of blackmail and perhaps crimal prosecutn. They went directly to a set of mands that characteriz gay rights to this day – that gay people are upstandg cizens and serve to have their rights rpected.
“The state mt regnize the full cizenship rights of verts, ” or homosexuals, an activist wrote the year after the war. He mand not jt the repeal of the sodomy law, but the openg of ernment jobs to known homosexuals – a radil ia at the time, and one that would rema far out of reach for many s.
THE FOTTEN GAY SOLDIERS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Throughout the 20th century, gay rights groups stggled for the right to serve openly the ary, a hallmark of rpectabily.
” It was, ironilly, the ghastly vlence and horrible human toll of the World War I that first spired such assertive lls, lls that characterized gay rights movements around the world the 20th century. HomeHistoryIn DepthDiscrimatn and persecutn has led to gay soldiers of the Great War beg seen as tragic figur, but this was not always the seGetty ImagThe Royal Brish Legn is lnchg a mpaign today to mark 100 days before the 100th anniversary of the armistice that end the First World will be revealg a 3D “Thank You” stallatn on London’s Southbank before embarkg on a natnal cy tour to “thank the First World War generatn who served and sacrificed to benef generatns to e” centenary has also offered an opportuny for the ls well-known figur of the war to be discsed, cludg women, black and mory ethnic people and homosexuals, many of whom faced discrimatn spe servg their acts between men often rulted rporal punishment or imprisonment, and th acunts of gay servicemen om this time are rare.