Army’s first openly gay general retir after spirg others | Article | The Uned Stat Army

Contents:

• THE REVOLUTNARY WAR HERO WHO WAS OPENLY GAY
• FRIEDRICH VON STBEN: THE OPENLY GAY WAR HERO WHO WHIPPED THE CONTENTAL ARMY INTO SHAPE
• VALLEY FE PARK TALK FOC ON GAY REVOLUTNARY WAR GENERAL
• GAY RIGHTS
• ARMY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY GENERAL RETIR AFTER SPIRG OTHERS

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

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

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

VALLEY FE PARK TALK FOC ON GAY REVOLUTNARY WAR 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. 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.

Throughout Amerin history, homosexual soldiers have been discrimated agast the ary.

GAY RIGHTS

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.

While acceptance of LGBT people may feel like only h s stri recent years (and may still be set back), homosexualy has always been a part of Ameri. Son of Print John Adams, Charl Adams his youth beme a protégé of Friedrich von Stben and would grow fortable his own homosexualy. “I am gay and I fly the flag of pri and liberty for all of , ” Ross said, acrdg to Lanr, who says Ross revealed she was part of an unrground gay and lbian muny the late 18th century.

ARMY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY GENERAL RETIR AFTER SPIRG OTHERS

The charismatic Foundg Father may not have been gay himself but showed tremendo empathy for homosexuals of the time. While servg as ambassador to France, was Frankl who reced strategist Baron Friedrich von Stben to provi his expertise to the rebelln, spe knowg the soldier’s homosexualy.

Of urse, AIDS activist and wrer Larry Kramer lists Frankl among the Amerin historil figur he believ were gay, so maybe Frankl was more than an ally. Senator om Alabama, William Ruf Devane Kg is nsired by many to have been the natn’s first gay vice print, acrdg to the Washgton Bla. The only bachelor to ever be elected print of the Uned Stat, Jam Buchanan by multiple acunts engaged gay relatnships and may be remembered history as the first gay print.