In celebration of Pride, we’re remembering those that came before. Our video scrapbook today is dedicated to the men of the war years.
For thousands of gay men, World War II served as an unintentional, massive coming out experience. For the first time ever, this “great awakening” allowed homosexuals – from farms, ranches, and small towns across the country – to discover they were not alone. On their way to the front – in cities like New York, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles – they experienced their first contact with other men like themselves. Look at these faces. Romance couldn’t help but blossom.
But our hearts break when we contemplate what the future held. Some, separated by the exigencies of war, never knew what happened to their newly discovered “friend”. Some returned home to the life of a deeply closeted “straight” man with a wife and children. Some didn’t return at all. But the very existence of these photos, likely hidden away for years, speaks to the love these men discovered. And perhaps never found again.🏳️🌈