Baron von Stben, Washgton’s Gay General and Friend – Mark Carlson-Ghost

Contents:

• THE REVOLUTNARY WAR HERO WHO WAS OPENLY GAY
• HOW A GAY PSSIAN WHO SPOKE NO ENGLISH BEME A HERO OF THE AMERIN REVOLUTN
• FRIEDRICH VON STBEN: THE OPENLY GAY WAR HERO WHO WHIPPED THE CONTENTAL ARMY INTO SHAPE
• THE GAY PSSIAN BARON WHO CREATED THE U.S. ARMY
• MEET THE GAY MAN WHO ACTUALLY WON AMERI HER PENNCE
• BARON VON STBEN, WASHGTON’S GAY GENERAL AND FRIEND
• THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

THE REVOLUTNARY WAR HERO WHO WAS OPENLY GAY

Gay men have always been part of the Amerin ary. In an era before gay marriage or open pri, ary men fell love, formed passnate iendships and had same-sex enunters. But the se of one of the ary’s foundg hero, homosexualy was always part of the story.

Historians also thk he was homosexual—and served as an openly gay man the ary at a time when sex between men was punished as a crime.

He also downplayed mors that the baron had been dismissed om the Pssian ary for homosexualy.

HOW A GAY PSSIAN WHO SPOKE NO ENGLISH BEME A HERO OF THE AMERIN REVOLUTN

But he was gay, and homosexualy was viewed as a crimal aberratn by many of his peers.

”After the war, von Stben legally adopted both men—a mon practice among gay men an age before same-sex marriage was legal.

FRIEDRICH VON STBEN: THE OPENLY GAY WAR HERO WHO WHIPPED THE CONTENTAL ARMY INTO SHAPE

John Mulligan, who was also gay, served as von Stben’s secretary and is thought to have had a relatnship wh the baron. Durg von Stben’s lifetime, the ncept of gay marriage, gay pri or g out was unthkable and there was no language or open culture of homosexualy. But historil homosexual relatnships were actually don’t mean beg gay was ndoned: Sodomy was a crime lonial Ameri.

THE GAY PSSIAN BARON WHO CREATED THE U.S. ARMY

We n state why he might be spected of beg gay, but aga, to suggt that he might be out as you know, as blatant has to be he has to be uched properly. In other words, we don't have enough of a enough of an accurate termology to e or enough of a shared termology for all of as a group to get together, or for strangers to e together ont of a monument and jt hear a term like he's a gay general.

I thk both you have, and I, well, sort of a ristance to a very easy label like the "gay general.

In other words, von Stben is beg lled the "gay general, " part to to talk about why queer people today should have rights and should be able to serve the army.

MEET THE GAY MAN WHO ACTUALLY WON AMERI HER PENNCE

So that if a reference was ma to the fact that others have referred to him as the "gay general, " other words, that's another way of dog then. And so, you know, sometim, rather than focg on you the more physil aspects of the particular relatnships, whether be hetero or whether be heterosexual or homosexual, the general foc should be stead on how they exprs their affectn towards one another and love for one another. Not only was von Stben mored to be a homosexual, but he was also said to particularly enjoy the pany of young boys (a mor that has never been substantiated).

Baron Von Stben never publicly nied beg a homosexual.

BARON VON STBEN, WASHGTON’S GAY GENERAL AND FRIEND

Throughout Amerin history, homosexual soldiers have been discrimated agast the ary. It was enacted by Print Bill Clton 1993, as a way of “liftg” the ban on homosexual service members that was put place after World War II. Friedrich Wilhelm Augt Herich Ferdand von Stben was a Pssian ary officer who was openly gay.

Walker and North lived wh him, along wh another Revolutnary War veteran, John Mulligan, who was also thought to be gay. He was also — historians spect — gay. Back Europe, von Stben had dodged accatns about his homosexualy.

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

”A earlier, the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” allowed gays and lbians to serve openly after centuri of hidg, persecutn and dishonorable, we salute some of the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer service members who paved the way for a more clive force. Ralph Earl via Getty ImagWhout this gay ary geni, the Contental army might not have won the Revolutnary War. Friedrich von Stben joed the Pssian army as a teen, eventually beg an ai--mp to Frerick the Great, who was also mored to be gay.

But In 1763, at 33, Stben was unceremonly discharged “unr a cloud, hound by accatns of havg relatns wh young men, ” acrdg to The Gay and Lbian Review.

Acrdg to Randy Shilts’ “Conduct Unbeg: Gays and Lbians the U. C., and the Stben Para, held each September down New York’s Fifth KamenyFrank Kameny Kennedy / Tribune News Service via Getty ImagOne of the Foundg Fathers of the morn gay rights movement, Frank Kameny enlisted the Army 1943, servg Europe throughout World War II.