Today in Gay History: Thank a gay man for your freedom!

[jmowreader]

Two hundred forty years ago today, the thirteen British colonies in what we now call the United States of America had gotten so fed up with the way the Crown was treating them, they wrote a nice little letter to the King telling him his presence here was no longer required.

The King was not amused.

In the war that shortly followed, the Colonists were getting their butts kicked not only by the well-trained British troops the King sent to bring us back in line but by themselves. They couldn't fight, and their camp sanitation was terrible. Dysentery killed nearly as many Colonial soldiers as the British did.

General Washington knew if he didn't do something the Colonies would remain at the end of the British supply lines and he'd find himself at the end of a rope. What to do? Yes, of course: find someone who actually knew how to fight and get him in here to straighten out this unruly mob.

Washington knew of a great general, the Baron von Steuben.

Europe knew about this guy too: he'd been run out of every decent country on the Continent for being very gay, and he was about to be executed for it. The colonists cut a deal with them: let him go, give him to us and you'll never see him again. They were okay with that.

Von Steuben came to the United States and freaked out about how bad Washington's army was. They were even doing stupid shit like putting latrines next to the mess hall. Von Steuben wrote "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States," which became known as the Blue Book and was used until 1812. He organized a company of 100 men to serve as trainers for the rest of the Army. And he fixed the latrine situation right away. Under his guidance the Army turned itself around.

After the war, the new nation was so grateful they gave him an estate where he could farm and be as gay as he wanted.

So while you're celebrating your freedom today give a thought to the gay man who made it possible.

[Ocelot II]

1. Interesting. Apparently this fact was known by pretty much everybody at the time,

including Franklin and Washington. More here: https://www.history.com/news/openly-gay-revolutionary-war-hero-friedrich-von-steuben

[mopinko]

2. there's a hs in chi named after him.

in the german/polish part of town. very good school. i dont think ppl know.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

4. Also a junior H.S in Milwaukee.

My brother went there.

[Major Nikon]

15. I think most of the places with "Steuben" in them are named for him

[Deep State Witch]

20. Steubenville, Ohio

I wonder if the good people of Steubenville, Ohio know that their town is named after a gay man?

[Duncan Grant]

3. His statue is across the street from the White House in Lafayette Park. (eom)

[IronLionZion]

8. Correct, that's an important spot

https://www.nps.gov/places/000/general-von-steuben-statue.htm

[Duncan Grant]

12. A more "coded" view is memorable, too.

Thank you for sharing that photo! Here’s a view (above) of “Military Instruction” at the statue’s base. If I hadn’t seen it in person, I would have never known.

(Baron von Steuben Monument by Albert Jaegers in Lafayette Park)

[SunSeeker]

21. Cool! I've seen that statue many times in pictures and never knew the story. nt

[NNadir]

5. Thanks for the reminder.

[progressoid]

6. k/r

[wendyb-NC]

7. Very interesting

and Cool, too.

[underpants]

9. Yes

[Bayard]

10. Had not heard this story before

Thanks!

[Demsrule86]

11. Fascinating...never heard that. I am thankful!

[spike jones]

13. To all you Christians out there, thanks to King James 1ST for the King James Version of the Bible.

King James 1st was a gay man.

[roamer65]

14. Alexander Hamilton as well was probably at least bisexual.

https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/07/03/alexander-hamilton-john-laurens-gay-letters-romantic-disney-plus-musical/

[Major Nikon]

16. It would be interesting if we knew how many of the founding fathers were LGBTQ

It’s a safe bet their numbers were significant.

[roamer65]

17. They were revolutionaries.

More open minded than the others during their times.

I would not be surprised if you are right.

[OMGWTF]

26. More than just revolutionaries, the FF were "enlightened."

[TxGuitar]

34. the old fashioned term for 'woke'? :)

[MLAA]

18. Fantastic! I did not know this.

[calimary]

29. Neither did I. Good stuff!

Learn something new every day!

[thatcrowwoman]

19. And now I know. Done.

Thank you, jmowreader. I learn something new every day, and this is a good story to know.
🕊thatcrowwoman

[Fla Dem]

22. What an interesting and lttle known story of the founding and saving of our country.

I salute Geo Washington for putting all biases aside and just selecting the right man for the job.

I salute Baron Von Steuben for the intellect and know how on how to run a successful army.

And here I thought my whole life, that Gen Washington won the Revolutionary War all by himself.

[Tanuki]

23. And Casimir Pulaski was most likely intersex or trans.

https://www.iflscience.com/polish-general-who-helped-america-gain-independence-was-probably-intersex-or-trans-52071

"A Polish general whose assistance was vital to the American War of Independence left a skeleton that appears female. We don't know what Casimir Pulaski knew of his own biology but it seems likely that if living today he would be considered intersex or identify as a trans man. Pulaski played a crucial role in founding America’s military, but Trump’s transgender ban would probably prevent him from serving in it today.

Pulaski was raised as a boy by his Polish noble family. In the rebellion against the Russian domination of Poland, he became famous for his daring and disregard of orders from more senior commanders. After the Polish uprising's defeat, he went to France before being recommended by Benjamin Franklin to aid in America’s Revolutionary War, after which he was known as the "Father of the American Cavalry". In an era where women soldiers were almost inconceivable, Pulaski's outstanding cavalry skills, which rescued Washington from likely death or capture at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, meant no one questioned his sex.

Decades after Pulaski’s death a monument was built to him in Monterey Square, Georgia; a body speculated to have been his was buried beneath it. When the monument needed restoring in 1996 the body was dug up and examined.

The height of the skeleton and damage to the skull and hands fit descriptions of Pulaski and injuries he suffered in battle. A possible tumor under the eye even matches a discoloration in three contemporary portraits of Pulaski. However, the skeleton’s pelvis has features that would normally lead archaeologists to classify it as biologically female.

These facts were revealed more than a decade ago, but there was no family DNA to confirm the body was Pulaski's. Now, however, advances in DNA technology have enabled comparison with mitochondrial DNA from the grave of Pulaski’s grandniece; the buried body was definitely Pulaski’s.

Professor Charles Merbs of Arizona State University contributed to the forensic analysis on the body and told ASU News: “The skeleton is about as female as can be.”...(more)

[Unwind Your Mind]

36. So interesting, thank you, nt

[1WorldHope]

24. Wonderful! Teach it wherever you can bc the kids won't learn that in school.

[70sEraVet]

25. A great Independence Day eye-opener. Much thanks!

I found this article:
https://www.history.com/news/openly-gay-revolutionary-war-hero-friedrich-von-steuben

[jmowreader]

27. A short addendum

Von Steuben's layouts for how to set up a base camp are used, with very few modifications, by the Army today. The major difference is von Steuben didn't have generators to contend with, and now we do.

[ms liberty]

28. I like to tell people about this. Most have never heard it. K&R. n/t

[niyad]

30. KNR and bookmarking.

[Hekate]

32. Likewise

[electric_blue68]

31. Wow! Fascinating. 👍

[AllaN01Bear]

33. please share this far and wide . watch their heads explode.

very gay? lol.bookmarked for future reading on both stories.

[Crowman2009]

35. Von Steuben proved that a trained army was far superior to a militia system.

If we had a militia system during the war of 1812, we would have lost.

[orleans]

37. there is a psa (?) that wcpt runs every once in awhile

about an individual that was in the military who lived with two other men -- and i couldn't remember the names, so i looked up steuben. yep -- it was him.
this link from history (a&e) mentions it, along with some wild parties that were had.

https://www.history.com/news/openly-gay-revolutionary-war-hero-friedrich-von-steuben