Sundays are my homework days. I head to my favorite coffee
shop, spread out my books and attempt to write my latest class required essay.
For my modern history class I’m writing a paper on homosexual soldiers during
World War II. Sunday I started researching my topic.
As I sat amongst my fellow
students, we crowed near the coveted available power outlets to plug in the sea
of laptops. I soon blocked out my surroundings and searched through a massive
amount of online research databases. After finding an amazing article about
wartime homosexuality, I dove into the topic. Soon I heard, “Guuuurl! What you
reading?!” It was the front desk gay from my gym. He smiled, and asked again. I
quickly explained my research into the military’s screening of inductees during
the 1940’s and society’s viewpoints during wartime. I received a slow nod as he wished me fun with that.
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Anonymous photographer, Untitled
image of two uniformed sailors kissing*
|
Ten minutes passed before I moved from one column to the
other side of the page. That is when I noticed the photo the author was
referencing…
Well… I guess I found my visual aide for my class
presentation. I will apologize for not blurring the naughty bits, but being unable
to find this photo anywhere on the web, I did not want to alter it. I find it incredibility important to preserve it in its original state. I find it romantic
and valuable in the topic that is so easily forgotten. That during military service,
soldiers fall in love.
*I claim no rights or ownership to this photo. Original photo
found: Lee, E. "When
Sailors Kiss: Picturing Homosexuality In Post-World War II America."
Journal Of American Culture 32.4 (2009): 318-331. and The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Bloomington, IN, KI-DC: 44270.
Naughty bits? Are you speaking of the perspective of postwar morality? Because from a modern point of view there's nothing particularly hello...
ReplyDeleteJust scrolled down further. Nevermind.
It would be interesting to know even a close guesstimate on how many soldiers fell in love, and how many acted on that.
ReplyDeleteinteresting pic
ReplyDeleteHmm... there is a bit more than a kiss going on down below methinks. LOL
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't already discover this, the original of this image is owned by the Kinsey Institute in Indiana. It was a part of an exhibition awhile back. A crop of the image was used in the late 80s by the art group Gran Fury as part of an ACT-UP campaign.
ReplyDelete____
http://irreverentpsychologist.blogspot.com/2013/05/memorial-day-surprise-vintage-sailor.html