#Friedrich von Steuben

[livelaughlovelams]

"Give me more trashy Von Steuben sketches!!!" - No one ever

(uhhh in case you can't tell I FATALLY messed up the mouth and just gave up. Also, I SWEAR TO GOD IT LOOKS OKAY IN PERSON BUT MY HANDS ARE WAY TOO SHAKY. DW I know you all wanted MOAR crusty deleterious art anygays.)

ANygaySSSS, TAGS!!!

[nothingfrompoland]

ngl, baron von Steuben cooked with this one

[marsfingershurt]

"Steuben grew impatient and flew into a violent passion. After exhausting all his store of German oaths he called in that language to his servant to bring his pistols, which he did. Then the Baron, presenting the deadly weapons at the affrighted land-lord...."

ERM. STEUBEN?? NO???

i love Du Ponceau's autobiography lmao

[tables-has-vanished]

Was Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben bedding a Prussian king not gay enough?

[silliestcolressfan]

Until its him

[charlestownbound]

An extensive list of the sources I have found on Internet Archive

Last updated 6/8/25

It would be quite selfish of me to keep these to myself, wouldn't it? This list will be updated frequently, in accordance to what I have found. These were found while doing my own research for various topics, and taken from the bibliographies of many books. Some of these I will have cited in posts of mine, many others will not appear anywhere in my work. Mostly primary sources, but quite a few books make their appearance.

Sorted alphabetically by surname of author

*Some sources, for the sake of readability, have their title somewhat shortened and/or authors removed. In this case, the sourced author will be chosen according to reverse alphabetization, as this is how they are listed on the Archive

A

Alden, John Richard. General Gage in America: Being Principally a History of his Role in the American Revolution

Anburey, Thomas. With Burgoyne to Quebec; An Account of the Life at Quebec and of the Famous Battle at Saratoga

Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries From Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution

B

Balderston, Marion and Syrett, David. The Lost War: Letters From British Officers During the American Revolution

Bass, Robert D. The Green Dragoon

Burr, Aaron. Memoirs of

C

Clinton, George. Public Papers of Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Volume 4 Volume 5 Volume 6 Volume 7 Volume 8 Volume 9 Volume 10

Clinton, Henry. Observations on Some Parts of the Answer of Earl Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative Clinton, Henry. The American Rebellion; Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775-1782

Commanger, Henry Steele. Spirit of '76: The Story of The American Revolution as Told by Participants

E

Ewald, Johann von. Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal

G

Grant, Alfred. Our American Brethren: A History of Letters in the British Press During the American Revolution, 1775-1781

H

Hamilton, Alexander. Papers of Volume 5 Volume 8 Volume 9 Volume 10 Volume 12 Volume 13 Volume 15 Volume 16 Volume 18 Volume 19 Volume 22

K

Kapp, Friedrich. The Life of Frederick William von Steuben

Kemble, Stephen. Journal of

L

Laurens, Henry. Papers of Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Volume 4 Volume 7 Volume 8 Volume 11 Volume 12 Volume 13

Lefkowitz, Arthur S. George Washington's Indispensable Men

M

Massey, Gregory D. John Laurens and The American Revolution

Moultrie, William. Memoirs of

Murdoch, David H. Rebellion in America: A Contemporary British Viewpoint, 1765-1783

P

Parton, James. The Life and Times of Aaron Burr

R

Ramsay, David. The History of The Revolution of South Carolina

Robson, Eric. Letters From America, 1773 to 1780, Being the Letters of a Scots Officer, Sir James Murray, to his Home During the War of American Independence

S

Steiner, Bernard Christian. The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry

Stevens, Benjamin Franklin. The Campaign of Virginia, 1781: An Exact Reprint of Six rare Pamphlets on the Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy

T

Tarleton, Banastre. A History of The Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in The Southern Provinces of North America

V

Van Doren, Carl. Secret History of the American Revolution: An Account of the Conspiracies of Benedict Arnold and Numerous Others

W

Ward, Christopher. The War of The Revolution

Washington, George. Papers of Agricultural papers

[yesornopolls]

Have you ever heard of Baron Von Steuben?

(sincerely a certain account on historyblr)

[john-laurens-hamilton]

John W. Mulligan and Charles Adams.

Would you believe me if I told you Hercules Mulligan's son and John Adam’s son were lovers? Well, maybe you would think it's a made-up story to satisfy the gay-historic-thirst of the Hamilton musical fans, but I assure you, it was a real story.

Charles Adams was the younger brother of John Quincy Adams, who was very noticeably the favorite child. He grew up with the same education as his brother, and there was not much difference between them until, at his return from school in London, Charles got a job working at Alexander Hamilton’s law firm. There, he met another young man his age, whose father was an old acquaintance of Hamilton’s: John W. Mulligan, Hercules Mulligan's son. We don't know when their relationship started, but soon after, they moved in together. They were, at this time, handsome and wealthy men in age to marry, but neither did so. Both seemed to enjoy the company of the other best.

It was, more or less, a year after they moved in together, when John Adams visited his son. His brother John Quincy was thriving in the world of politics, and the man wanted an update on how Charles was doing at Hamilton's law firm. By visiting their home, Adams quickly realized Charles and John’s relationship transcended friendship, and this horrorized him. How could his son give in to the sin of Sodom? Even though Thomas Jefferson had changed the penalty for it from death by hanging to castration in 1776, the risk of getting caught and ruining his reputation was too high, and so Adams tried to force Charles to break up with John.

But the two young men loved each other too much to simply give in to his orders. This is when John ran to Hamilton, asking him for help, confiding in his father's old friend. As a side note, this is another proof of Hamilton's bisexuality being known between his inner circle: why would John trust him with his own homosexuality if he thought Alexander wouldn't be supportive? Theorizing, Alexander probably told his first friend in the Colonies about his ‘proclivities not limited to the fairer sex’, in his own nephew’s words, which would mean Hercules knew about John's relationship with Charles, probably being the one to advice him to ask for help from Hamilton.

Alexander understood their problem. He probably saw himself and Laurens in them, and so he wrote to Baron von Sugar Daddy—I mean, Baron von Steuben—about John and Charles’ problem. Now, a bit about Baron von Steuben before continuing with the story—Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was an openly homosexual man who was exiled from Prussia for it. In the Colonies, he rapidly joined the army and ascended to General. Washington didn't seem to care about the Baron’s past in Europe, letting him have his own military facility where he did a number of very gay things. Two should be highlighted: first one, the party he held with his aides where pants were not allowed, and the second is his three closest soldiers: his personal assistant, Pierre Stephen du Ponceau (though this one gives me a bitter feeling, as Pierre was only 17), William North and Benjamin Walker, who were his lovers and formally adopted (the homosexual replacement for marriage in the 18th century) to be in his will at his death later. Now, carrying on, von Steuben was a protector of homosexual men of the time: by sending Charles and John away to him, Alexander was shielding them from Adams and giving a safe space to be open about their relationship. 

This is how they moved in with von Steuben, with whom they stayed for a happy year, being together. However, after this year passed, the Baron wanted to move upstate: while John desired to become his personal assistant and move with him, Charles desperately wanted to stay in the city. They parted ways, though this wasn't the end of their relationship: Charles got married and had two daughters, and he often left them at home while being off visiting his lover at von Steuben’s. It was on a day when Adams decided to show up uninvited to their home and he found his daughter-in-law and granddaughters alone. When questioning them for his son’s location, he was incredibly mad. Everybody knew the Baron was gay, and this only confirmed his suspicions. We have a register of the colorful vocabulary he used to refer to his son to Abigail, highlighting the following: “rake” (meaning the equivalent to manwhore) and “buck”, which meant an effeminate man. After this, he properly disowned Charles.

Charles died young of a liver infection probably caused by a genetic condition, or perhaps, alcoholism. John outlived him and von Steuben, being present on his will.

They were, indeed, very gay.

[pub-lius]

Why don't you have any detailed posts about Steuben smh do better

AW FUCK NO MY REPUTATION!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE THE GAY HISTORY PERSON IF I DONT HAVE A DETAILED POST ABOUT STEUBEN!!!! i have to fix this...

Early Life

Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Baron de Steuben was born on September 17, 1730 in Prussia. He joined the Prussian army at the age of 17, so he got a real early start.

Note: I've written his name here as "Baron de Steuben", as this name is from a French record, however he is typically referred to as "Baron von Steuben", as "von" is the translation of "de" from French to Prussian, and they both mean "of" in English. I just wanted to clarify that for the sake of my own linguistically correct sanity

Steuben began his service in the French and Indian War (or Seven Years War if you're a dirty European) as a second lieutenant, and was then wounded at the Battle of Prague, a Prussian victory. Then, he joined General Johann von Mayer's adjutant and principle staff officer in a special detached corps.

Then, he was promoted to first lieutenant and wounded AGAIN at the Battle of Kunersdorf, which was a Russian and Austrian victory. He was then transferred to general headquarters as a staff officer in the position of deputy quartermaster (this is important!!).

He was taken prisoner when Major General von Knoblock surrendered at Treptow, and was released after a year in 1762. He was promoted to captain and then became an aide-de-camp to Frederick the Great, which is as metal as it gets. He joined the King's class on the art of war, where he learned even more super cool military leadership skills.

Life Between Wars

Steuben met St. Germain in Hamburg (a notoriously great place to meet people). If you aren't in the know like I clearly am, St. Germain would eventually be the French Minister of War during the American Revolution. They'd meet again in France when Steuben was serving as Grand Marshall to the Prince of Hollenzollern-Hechingen, and if that sounds made up to you, it's because you don't even know him like I do.

Steuben continued looking for military work, but those European assholes (the British, French, and Austrians) rejected my man for no good reason (probably because he was gay or something). It was during his stay in France where he heard of the rowdy Americans across the pond.

St. Germain introduced Baron von Steuben to Silas fucking Deane and Benjamin "Slim Shady" Franklin, but they weren't able to promise Steuben anything but some regurgitated American propaganda, since, by this time, they were already getting yelled at by Congress and Washington for allowing too many incompetent Frenchmen into the Continental Army. They told him that the only way he could assist in the American fight for independence would be to go to America and present himself as a volunteer to Congress (like Lafayette ended up having to do).

This obviously pissed off Steuben since he was actually experienced trying to get a job, because its not fun being an overqualified, unemployed gay man in 18th century Europe. But still, he settled for being a volunteer, and set out for America, his passage being paid for by the French government.

WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETERRRRRRR

Steuben traveled to America with his Italian greyhound, Azor, and his two assistants, Louis de Pontiere (ADC) and Pierre Ettienne Duponceau (military secretary). They arrived in New Hampshire on December 1, 1777. They were almost arrested upon arrival because Steuben had a blond moment and mistakenly dressed them in red uniforms instead of blue. They traveled through Boston to York, Pennyslvania, arriving on February 5, 1778.

In Steuben's letter of recommendation, Franklin mistranslated Steuben's rank to "His Excellency, Lieutenant General von Steuben, Apostle of Frederick the Great", which made him seem way more distinguished than he was. As a result, he was presented a much higher rank by Congress.

Steuben was ordered to report to Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge, where he arrived on February 23, 1778, and was described by a soldier as "a perfect personification of Mars."

Steuben's good first impression also had an effect on Washington, who appointed him temporary Inspector General, and it was in this position that he had his largest impact on American history, and changed the course of the war

Why Every Army Should Have Gay People, An Essay by Publius

Baron von Steuben began his transformation of the Continental Army by writing training drills, overriding the regional trainings of the state militias into a unified and universal regimen. There was a significant language barrier, however, as Steuben originally wrote the drills in French, which were then translated into English by Duponceau, John Laurens, and Alexander Hamilton. Then, they were given to the brigade inspectors, who made the copies which were then copied to be delivered to each officer. There was definitely a more efficient way to do this, but you know. It was also Valley Forge.

General Washington's Life Guard and some men from each state (totalling around 120 men) were used as a model to show the rest of the army how they were supposed to go through the drills. As they trained and demonstrated the drills, Steuben was writing new ones, only a few days ahead, which is a massive time crunch. This was done intentionally to make the drills as simple as he could, so the training of the army was dispersed in a rapid, orderly fashion. This man was a genius, I can't emphasize it enough.

The officers in the British army, which was the standard for Americans in many respects, would allow the sergeants to drill the men, but Steuben said fuck that, I'm gonna do it myself. This made many American officers uncomfortable because the men developed a bond with him because of how talented he was (and the fact that he was funny and used profanity in multiple languages), and along with the fact that Steuben's office seemingly had no limitations, this caused them to complain to the big boss, Washington. To make them feel better, Washington issued orders on June 15, 1778 to govern the Inspector General's office until further word from Congress.

The reformed Continental Army showed off their swag on May 6, 1778 when they celebrated the news of the Franco-American Alliance, which impressed soldiers, officers, and civilians. More happy news came when Steuben was given his commission from the Congress as Inspector General, with the rank of Major General.

It was at the Battle of Monmouth when the new training of the Continental Army was able to take what would have been a losing battle for the Americans to a technical draw. Steuben was actually almost killed/taken prisoner (depending on the mood of the British) during this battle because he was wearing so many metals of honor that he glimmered in the sunlight, and was spotted by the British. He was fine, though.

General von Steuben went to Philadelphia in the winter of 1778-79 to write his book of regulations, referred to as The Blue Book. Lieutenant Colonel Francois de Fleury, a volunteer, assisted in writing it. It was with the assistance of ~Benjamin Walker~ and Duponceau that the blue book was translated into English, which is why we know Walker as being important! And the fact that he and Steuben totally boned! Anyway, Captain Pierre Charles L'Enfant was illustrated it, and the book was used all the way until 1814.

After the war

General von Steuben rejoined the Continental Army in April of 1779 to serve through the end of the war. He was an instructor and supply officer for General Nathanael Greene's southern army from the beginning of the southern campaign until Yorktown. Steuben commanded one of three divisions in the Continentals at Yorktown. He assisted in demobilizing the army in 1783, and resigned his commission in 1784, which is actually the latest I've heard of a Continental General resigning his commission!

Steuben continuously petitioned Congress for financial compensation for mesothelioma (not really) and fuck ass Congress only gave him a part of what he was owed, which was pretty typical. But! New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia all gave him land grants, which he sold portions off to have enough money to live. So, he retired from NYC to his land holdings to live the remainder of his life.

Oh, and fun fact, Steuben was present at one of the riots in New York that Alexander Hamilton tried to stop, and they both had bricks thrown at them. It might have been the Cadaver Riots, but I could be wrong since I didn't feel like double checking.

Steuben never married, and instead lived with Benjamin Walker for a long period of time. He died on his 16,000 acre farm tract in the Mohawk Valley of New York on November 28, 1794.

Homosexuality

The source I used for this does not mention his homosexuality at all, but I'm going to, because the last thing you'll ever see me do is pretend like gay people didn't exist or are "unprofessional" to talk about in history.

If you say that Alexander Hamilton was gay, you have to say Steuben was, and vice versa. Rumors of homosexuality followed Steuben from Europe all the way to America, and play a large role in why he relocated many times, and never seemed to have a permanent home until the end of his life. This was a form of unofficial exile that many queer people faced in times where their existence was illegal. As soon as your name was associated with possible homosexuality, you couldn't get comfortable anywhere.

But von Steuben wasn't brought down by this, and you've gotta respect that. He threw elaborate parties starting almost as soon as he arrived at the Continental Army. If you're new to the amrev community here, this is what we mean by "flaming shot/pantless parties", because they had shots of liquor that they would light on fire, and in order to get in, at least part of your breeches had to have been missing. While straight men did attend these parties, the subtext in discussions about them seem to imply that they were also a gathering place for queer men.

These parties continued, and some familiar faces were there, such as Duponceau, Walker Hamilton, Laurens, and, later on, Charles Adams. However, I'm not going to speculate on who was fucking who, though it has been largely accepted by historians that General von Steuben and Benjamin Walker were lovers, and I personally think there is substantial evidence to support this when you align their personal correspondence with the close proximity they maintained throughout their lives.

General von Steuben is a figure that is very important to many queer people as a conspicuous queer man in history who had an undeniable impact on the course of American history. Portrayals of Steuben in media typically disregard this, however more and more biographers are discussing his homosexuality and the significance it plays in queer history. So, I'll end this post by saying this: Steuben is just as significant in American history as he is in Queer history, and it is irresponsible to pretend like he isn't.

Source:

National Park Service- Valley Forge

British Battles.com- Battle of Kunersdorf

George Washington's Indispensable Men by Arthur S. Lefkowitz

John Laurens and the American Revolution by Gregory D. Massey

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Anyway, thank you for giving me an excuse to talk about Steuben lol. I didn't previously know much about his life before the American Revolution, so I was very happy to learn. I actually bought a biography about him not long ago, The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army by Paul Lockhart, but I haven't read it yet. If anyone has, pls let me know if it's good or not. After Massey and Chernow, I'm practically on my hands and knees begging for a male author to treat queer history seriously. Anyway, thank you for the ask! I'm going to go watch the george washington mini series for steuben content

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … January 18

1726 – Frederick Heinrich Louis, more commonly known as Prince Henry of Prussia was born in Berlin (d.1802). He also served as a general and statesman, and, in 1786, was suggested as a candidate for a monarch for the United States, but before he could make up his mind on the offer, the U.S. had opted to be a Republic.

The younger brother of King Frederick II of Prussia, Henry's conflicts with "Frederick the Great" are almost legendary.

In 1752 Henry married Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel in Charlottenburg, but they had no children. Henry lived in Rheinsberg after receiving it as a gift from his brother. Despite the marriage, he scarcely concealed his passion for other men and developed intimate friendships with the actor Blainville and the French emigre Count La Roche-Aymon. One favourite, Major Kaphengst, exploited the prince's interest in him to lead a dissipated, wasteful life on an estate not far from Rheinsberg.

Henry successfully led Prussian armies as a general during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), in which he never lost a battle. After the Prussian Army's initial success against one wing of the joint Russian and Austrian Armies in the Battle of Kunersdorf, Henry urged his brother Frederick to stop attacking. The king, who had already sent a message of victory to Berlin, pressed the attack. The day ended with a virtually destroyed Prussian army, a virtually defenseless Kingdom of Prussia, and a complete victory by the Russo-Austrian force. Afterwards, Henry reorganized the routed Prussian forces. Frederick came to rely on his brother as commander of the Prussian forces in the east, Frederick's strategic flank. Henry later won his most famous victory at Freiberg in 1762.

After the Seven Years' War, Henry worked as a shrewd diplomat who helped plan the First Partition of Poland through trips to Stockholm and St. Petersburg. In the 1780s he made two diplomatic trips to France. He was a friend of Jean-Louis Favier.

Henry attempted to secure a principality for himself and twice tried to become King of Poland, but was opposed by a displeased Frederick. The king frustrated Henry's attempt to become ruler of a kingdom Catherine II of Russia planned to create in Wallachia.

In 1786 either Nathaniel Gorham, then President of the Continental Congress, or Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Prussian general who served in the Continental Army, suggested to Alexander Hamilton that Henry should become President or King of the United States, but the offer was revoked before the prince could make a reply.

1904 – Cary Grant, born Archibald Alexander Leach, (d.1986), was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship. Known for his transatlantic accent, debonair demeanor and "dashing good looks", Grant is considered one of classic Hollywood's definitive leading men. His good looks, charisma, and ambiguous sexuality enchanted women and men alike. As the star-struck comedian Steve Lawrence once said, "When Cary Grant walked into a room, not only did the women primp, the men straightened their ties."

Born Archibald Alexander Leach on January 18, 1904, near Bristol, England, Grant began his career in vaudeville. In 1932 he signed with Paramount and moved to Hollywood, where he developed the debonair persona that made him famous. After appearing in half a dozen films, his big break came when the sultry Mae West handpicked him to star with her in She Done Him Wrong (1933). Based on West's Broadway hit Diamond Lil, the film made Grant a bankable star.

Grant's best-known films include The Awful Truth (1937), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gunga Din (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), His Girl Friday (1940), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Notorious (1946), To Catch A Thief (1955), An Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959) and Charade (1963).

Grant was married five times. But there were well-founded rumours that he was bisexual or gay. Homosexual screenwriter Arthur Laurents wrote that Grant "told me he threw pebbles at my window one night but was luckless". Grant allegedly was involved with costume designer Orry-Kelly when he first moved to Manhattan, and lived with Randolph Scott off and on for twelve years.

Richard Blackwell wrote that Grant and Scott were "deeply, madly in love", and alleged eyewitness accounts of their physical affection have been published. Alexander D'Arcy, who appeared with Grant in The Awful Truth, said he knew that Grant and Scott "lived together as a gay couple", adding: "I think Cary knew that people were saying things about him. I don't think he tried to hide it." The two men frequently accompanied each other to parties and premieres and were unconcerned when photographs of them cozily preparing dinner together at home were published in fan magazines. Biographer Roy Moseley claims that Grant and Scott were seen kissing in a public carpark outside a social function both attended in the 1960s. William J. Mann's book Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969 recounts how photographer Jerome Zerbe spent "three Gay months" in the movie colony taking many photographs of Grant and Scott, "attesting to their involvement in the Gay scene." Zerbe says that he often stayed with the two actors, "finding them both warm, charming, and happy."

Cary Grant (R) with Randolph Scott

For more pictures and backround of this 1930s 'bromance' see Cary Grant and Randolph Scott: A Love Story.

Barbara Harris, Grant's widow, has disputed that there was a relationship with Scott. When Chevy Chase joked about Grant being gay in a television interview Grant sued him for slander; they settled out of court. However, Grant did admit in an interview that his first two wives had accused him of being homosexual. Betsy Drake commented: "Why would I believe that Cary was homosexual when we were busy fucking? He lived 43 years before he met me. I don't know what he did. Maybe he was bisexual."

Although most of his career was spent playing a static archetype, Grant was unafraid to take risks, professionally or privately. He is credited with using the word "gay" for the first time in a homosexual context on screen. In Bringing Up Baby (1938), Grant plays a shy paleontologist against Katharine Hepburn's spoiled New York heiress. During one scene, Grant appears in a frilly pink dressing gown and to incredulous observers delivers his famous line "because I just went gay all of a sudden."

Knowing his audience did not want to see him age, Grant retired from films in the 1960s, secure as one of Hollywood's brightest stars. He died on November 29, 1986.

1913 – Danny Kaye, born David Daniel Kaminsky, (d.1987) was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian. His best known performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire nonsense songs.

Kaye starred in 17 movies, notably The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), The Inspector General (1949), Hans Christian Andersen (1952), and — perhaps his most accomplished performance — The Court Jester (1956). His films were extremely popular, especially his bravura performances of patter songs and children's favorites such as The Inch Worm and The Ugly Duckling. He was the first ambassador-at-large of UNICEF and received the French Legion of Honor in 1986 for his many years of work with the organization.

Kaye and his wife, Sylvia Fine, both grew up in Brooklyn, living only a few blocks apart, but they did not meet until they were both working on an off-Broadway show in 1939. They were married on January 3, 1940.

During World War II, the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated rumors that Kaye dodged the draft by manufacturing a medical condition to gain 4-F status and exemption from military service. FBI files show he was also under investigation for supposed links with Communist groups. The allegations were never substantiated, and he was never charged with any associated crime.

After Kaye and his wife became estranged, he was allegedly involved with a succession of women, though he and Fine never divorced. The best-known of these women was actress Eve Arden.

There are persistent rumors that Kaye was either homosexual or bisexual, and some sources claim that Kaye and Laurence Olivier had a ten-year relationship in the 1950s while Olivier was still married to Vivien Leigh. A biography of Leigh states that the alleged relationship caused her to have a breakdown. The alleged relationship has been denied by Olivier's official biographer, Terry Coleman. Joan Plowright, Olivier's widow, has dealt with the matter in different ways on different occasions: she deflected the question (but alluded to Olivier's "demons") in a BBC interview. However, in her memoirs Plowright denies that there had been an affair between the two men. Producer Perry Lafferty reported: "People would ask me, 'Is he gay? Is he gay?' I never saw anything to substantiate that in all the time I was with him." Kaye's final girlfriend, Marlene Sorosky, reported that he told her, "I've never had a homosexual experience in my life. I've never had any kind of gay relationship. I've had opportunities, but I never did anything about them."

1955 – Francis Warren Nicholls, Jr., better known by his stage name Frankie Knuckles (d. 2014), was an American DJ and record producer.

Knuckles was born in The Bronx, New York; he later moved to Chicago. He played an important role in developing and popularizing house music in Chicago during the 1980s, when the genre was in its infancy. Due to his importance in the development of the genre, Knuckles was often known as "The Godfather of House Music." Chicago named a stretch of street and a day after Knuckles in 2004 for this role. His accomplishments earned him a Grammy Award in 1997. Knuckles was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005 as recognition for his achievements.

While studying textile design at the FIT in New York, Knuckles began working as a DJ, playing soul, disco, and R&B at two of the most important early discos, The Continental Baths and The Gallery, with childhood friend and fellow DJ Larry Levan.

In the late 1970s, Knuckles moved from New York City to Chicago, where Robert Williams, an old friend was opening what became the Warehouse. When the Warehouse club opened in Chicago in 1977, he was invited to play on a regular basis, which enabled him to hone his skills and style. This style was a mixture of disco classics, unusual indie-label soul, the occasional rock track, European synth-disco and all manner of rarities, which would all eventually codify as "House Music." The style of music now known as house was of course named after a shortened version of the Warehouse.

Knuckles was so popular that the Warehouse, initially a members-only club for largely black gay men, began attracting straighter, whiter crowds. He continued DJing at the Warehouse until November 1982, when he started his own club in Chicago, The Power Plant.

When the Power Plant closed in 1987, Knuckles played for four months at Delirium in the United Kingdom. Chicago house artists were in high demand and having major success in the UK with this new genre of music. Knuckles also had a stint in New York, where he continued to immerse himself in producing, remixing, and recording. 1988 saw the release of Pet Shop Boys' third album, Introspective, which featured Knuckles as a co-producer of the song "I Want a Dog."

Openly gay, Knuckles was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1996

1973 – The Chilean journalist Juan Manuel Astorga was born today. Astorga is a major media personality having hosted radio, television and cable shows in his long and storied career. In 2008, Astorga gave an interview to Caras magazine, in which he discussed his homosexuality .

He chose to disclose his sexuality before he was outed by an attorney who was a member of the Fascist-connected Catholic order Opus Dei. The attorney attempted to extort money from Astorga by threatening to out him. Astorga beat him to the punch. The Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation of Chile supported Astorga and condemned this kind of blackmail.

1974 – Maulik Pancholy is an American actor of Indian heritage known for his recurring role as Sanjay Patel on Weeds, his role as Jonathan on 30 Rock, voice acting as Baljeet Tjinder in Phineas and Ferb, and as Neal during the first season of Whitney. He also voices a different character also named Sanjay Patel in the Nickelodeon animated series Sanjay and Craig.

Pancholy's television work includes guest roles on Tracey Takes On..., The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Comeback. He also has several stage acting credits in New York City including the Culture Project's production of Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom in 2004, a workshop of the play Morbidity & Mortality at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in 2005, and the lead role in India Awaiting at the Samuel Beckett Theatre.

Pancholy came out as gay in a November 2013 interview with Out magazine in which he discussed his partner of nine years. He announced his engagement to caterer Ryan Corvaia on January 9, 2014.

1984 – (Benjamin) Benji Schwimmer is an American professional dancer, choreographer and actor. On August 16, 2006 he was announced as the winner of the second season of So You Think You Can Dance and has choreographed for both the U.S. and the international versions of the show. He co-starred in the 2010 film Leading Ladies.

Schwimmer is known for his versatility in mixing the arts of solo dance and partnering. He works for the non-profit group, Dancers Everywhere Making a Needed Difference (D.E.M.A.N.D), and is the songwriter, producer, and vocalist for pop-rock band The Weekend Forecast.

Schwimmer grew up in a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) household in Moreno Valley, California. He is the son of choreographer and West Coast Swing dancer Buddy Schwimmer. His mother, Laurie Schwimmer, and sister, Lacey Schwimmer, are also west-coast swing dancers.

He started competing when he was five years old. Some of his early experiences included singing and dancing in "Sunshine Magic", a children's troupe.

Schwimmer put dancing on hold to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. He returned afterwards to the dance circuit. He founded D.E.M.A.N.D., a non-profit organization that helps the less fortunate and provides health care for dancers with HIV/AIDS and other illness.

Schwimmer is openly gay. He left the LDS church in 2011 due in part to the church's position on not allowing homosexuals to work with youth. He came out publicly in 2012, after struggling with his homosexuality for a number of years. The catalyst for his decision was the death by suicide of three gay friends.

1986 – Eugene Lee Yang is an American filmmaker, actor, and internet celebrity, best known for his work with BuzzFeed (2013–2018) and The Try Guys (2014–present). Yang is also known for his work with various human rights and LGBT advocacy charities such as The Trevor Project.

Yang, the only son of Korean immigrants Min-Young and Jae Yang, was born and raised in Pflugerville, Texas. He is the middle child of two sisters. Growing up in Pflugerville, Yang's family was one of the few Asian Americans in their community. He struggled with body image issues and low self-esteem as, in his own words, no one looked like him, and suffered bullying due to his appearance.

At school, he engaged in artistic activities including visual arts, illustration, theater, choir, and dance. However, a seventh-grade teacher recommended that he should consider studying filmmaking. He later went to the University of Southern California and, during his studies, had written and directed six short films discussing wide-ranging social and political topics, including mental health care, gay marriage, and school shootings. He graduated with a B.A. in cinema production degree in 2008. On June 15, 2019, Yang came out as gay in a video titled "I'm Gay" which he wrote, directed, and choreographed with the song "A Moment Apart" by Odesza.

In 2013, he started working for the video branch of the internet media company, BuzzFeed, at the recommendation of a colleague who saw his potential in creating short format videos. He was given free control on experimental video productions and exploring new modes of storytelling.Reaction to some of his early works was positive particularly on their distinct candor and reliability, which led to more provocative sketches such as

The Try Guys, which was established in Buzzfeed in 2014, together with co-stars Ned Fulmer, Keith Habersberger, and Zach Kornfeld. The show is a mix of social commentary and humor depicting scenarios such as men going through labor pains and prostate cancer check at a doctor's office. The cast initially were hesitant about stepping out from behind the camera as they had limited acting experience, but they continued producing videos for the show after receiving positive feedback.

Yang is the only openly gay member among the cast of The Try Guys, which also produced LGBTQ-themed videos such as season 1 episode 3 The Try Guys Try Drag for the First Time. On October 31, 2018, he published the video, My Dad’s First Drag Show (Featuring Kim Chi), where he adopted a similar approach into exploring drag culture by inviting his father and stepmother to a drag show.

He also executively produced and hosted Buzzfeed's Queer Prom five-part video series that documented the journey of eight high school seniors who attended the company's first LGBTQ-themed prom together with other students.

On October 11, 2018, commemorated as the 30th year of National Coming Out Day, he took over the website of the advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, publicly sharing his experience growing up as a young queer man and advocating for LGBTQ representation in the media. Furthermore, he collaborated with The Trevor Project, a non-profit LGBTQ suicide prevention organization, to raise awareness on the incidence of suicide among LGBTQ youth and in inviting volunteers in the video Eugene Volunteers at the Trevor Project, which was posted on December 3, 2018.

He referred to himself as queer and LGBT, however, on June 15, 2019, Yang explicitly came out as gay in a music video. Two days later, Yang released an accompanying video documenting the creation of the video, his feelings, and his thoughts surrounding his coming out process.

In 2019, he announced that he is in a relationship with Matthew McLean.

2009 – On this date the Right Reverend Gene Robinson, the bishop of New Hampshire, and the first openly gay bishop of any denomination opened the inaugural festivities of Barack Obama's presidency when he gave the opening prayer at the Lincoln Monument. HBO, which had paid for exclusive rights to the event did not broadcast Bishop Robinson's prayer. So those watching the event live or later in replay would never have known it had occurred.

Curiously, National Public Radio chose not to air the prayer live either. There was no record of Bishop Robinson or his prayer in images placed on the sites of Getty Images, the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Very curious indeed. After some lame excuses HBO later aired a complete version of the afternoon's proceedings with Bishop Robinson's prayer included. No good excuse was ever given by the inaugural committee.

On an added note the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington also performed at the event but there was no announcement or caption of any sort to identify the group performing (perhaps to not upset any viewers out there).

2010 – Undercover cops are working Dubai's chat rooms to bust gay men for trying to hookup online. The National reports that one 22 year old man is charged with prostitution, consensual homosexual sex, producing pornographic material, cross-dressing and insulting religion, while the second, an 18-year-old student, is facing prostitution charges. Homosexuality is illegal in the United Arab Emirates, and if found guilty both face a minimum of three and a maximum of 15 years in prison.

[jamestownmuse]

Pride Month History

Baron Friedrich von Steuben, the Prussian soldier hired by General George Washington to whip his troops into real fighting force, was believed by many historians to have been gay. Not just gay, but openly gay at a time when homosexuality was punishable by imprisonment at best. 

Von Steuben had been a military man since age 17, eventually rising to become Fredrick the Great’s aide. He was abruptly dismissed in 1763 due to an “implacable enemy” spreading rumors of his homosexuality. He bounced around Europe, failing to join other armies.  In France he ran into Benjamin Franklin, who was impressed by the Baron’s military knowledge.

Ben Franklin downplayed the rumors of homosexual activity when he recommended von Steuben and George Washington chose to look the other way. (Let’s face it, at this point in the war General Washington probably would have accepted help from a Drag Queen in full dress if they could guarantee victory.) In 1778, Von Steuben was appointed temporary Inspector General and quickly set about whipping the Continental Army into shape.  He drilled the troops (military drills, you filthy animal) through the winter and brought a victory at the Battle of Barron Hill in the spring of that year.

After the war, von Steuben retired from service and became a U.S. citizen.  He officially adopted his two aide-de-camps, William North and Benjamin Walker.  von Steuben would live with Walker and his (Walker’s) wife, for a period, before he settled in New Jersey with William North.  Walker would frequently visit the estate.  

Officially, there is no definitive proof that either Walker or North were in a romantic relationship with von Steuben, both men were adopted by Baron von Steuben, a common practice between gay men as a substitution for marriage. And both were described as having ‘'extraordinary intense emotional relationships’ with the Baron. 

[livelaughlovelams]

guys…heh… you should… join my alpha community

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army had sixty-four brigadier generals, of which twenty were promoted to major general. Eleven of the brigadiers died in combat or from an illness during the war, and the British captured nine of them.

Some of the most notable brigadier generals included Nathanael Greene, who was known for his strategic vision and his successful campaign in the Southern theatre; Benedict Arnold, who initially fought for the American cause but later defected to the British side; Anthony Wayne, who was a skilled tactician and played a key role in the capture of Stony Point; Daniel Morgan, who was known for his unconventional tactics and his success in the Battle of Cowpens; and Horatio Gates, who was a controversial figure but who played a key role in the victory at Saratoga. Other notable brigadier generals included John Sullivan, who led the successful campaign against the Iroquois Confederacy; William Smallwood, who fought in several key engagements in the mid-Atlantic region; and Lachlan McIntosh, who played a role in the defense of Charleston and the Southern theatre. Overall, the brigadier generals of the Continental Army were a diverse group of leaders who contributed to the eventual American victory in many different ways.

Several foreign-born generals served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, including: Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. A Prussian drill master who played a key role in transforming the Continental Army into a professional fighting force. Johann de Kalb. A Bavarian-born French officer who served as a general in the Continental Army. Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. A French officer who served as a major general in the Continental Army. Michael Kovats de Fabriczy. A Hungarian nobleman and cavalry officer who served in the Continental Army. Tadeusz Kościuszko. A Polish military engineer. Chief Engineer with the Southern Department of the Continental Army. Charles Lee. A British soldier of fortune who was appointed the third-highest ranking general in the Continental Army.

There is no Brigadier General James Fraser who served as a high-ranking officer in the Continental Army; he is a fictional character from the fiction novel "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon. Jamie Fraser is not a real person; he is a creation of the author. However, Gabaldon was inspired by a real individual when developing her novel and later the series.

Posted 15th December 2024

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Nick Anderson

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 6, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JAN 7, 2024

Today, three years to the day after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the counting of the electoral ballots that would make Democrat Joe Biden president, officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested three fugitives wanted in connection with that attack. 

Siblings Jonathan and Olivia Pollock, whose family owns Rapture Guns and Knives, described on its Facebook page as a “christian owned Gun and Knife store” in Lakeland, Florida, and Joseph Hutchinson III, who once worked there, are suspected of some of the worst violence of January 6. The FBI had offered a $30,000 reward for “Jonny” Pollock, while the other two had been arrested but removed their ankle bracelets in March 2023 and fled. 

Family members of the fugitives and of other Lakeland residents arrested for their involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol insist their relatives are innocent, framed by a government eager to undermine their way of life. The Pollock family has gone so far as to erect a monument “in honor of the ones who lost their lives on January 6, 2021.” 

But it does not honor the law enforcement officers who were killed or injured. It honors the insurrectionists: Ashli Babbitt, shot by a law enforcement officer as she tried to break into the House Chamber through a smashed window (her family today sued the government for $30 million for wrongful death), and three others, one who died of a stroke; one of a heart attack, and one of an amphetamine overdose. 

The monument in Lakeland, Florida, is a stark contrast to the one President Biden visited yesterday in Pennsylvania. Valley Forge National Park is the site of the six-month winter encampment of the Continental Army in the hard winter of 1777–1778. After the British army captured the city of Philadelphia in September 1777, General George Washington settled 12,000 people of his army about 18 miles to the northwest. 

There the army almost fell apart. Supply chains were broken as the British captured food or it spoiled in transit to the soldiers, and wartime inflation meant the Continental Congress did not appropriate enough money for food and clothing. Hunger and disease stalked the camp, but even worse was the lack of clothing. More than 1,000 soldiers died, and about eight or ten deserted every day. Washington warned the president of the Continental Congress that the men were close to mutiny. 

Even if they didn’t quit, they weren’t very well organized for an army charged with resisting one of the greatest military forces on the globe. The different units had been trained with different field manuals, making it hard to coordinate movements, and a group of army officers were working with congressmen to replace Washington, complaining about how he was prosecuting the war.  

By February 1778, though, things were falling into place. A delegation from the Continental Congress had visited Valley Forge and understood that the lack of supplies made the army, and thus the country, truly vulnerable, and they set out to reform the supply department. Then a newly arrived Prussian officer, Baron Friedrich von Steuben, drilled the soldiers into unity and better morale. And then, in May, the soldiers learned that France had signed a treaty with the American states in February, lending money, matériel, and men to the cause of American independence. When the soldiers broke camp in June, they marched out ready to take on the British at the Battle of Monmouth, where their new training paid off as they held their own against the British soldiers.

The January 6 insurrectionists were fond of claiming they were echoing these American revolutionaries who created the new nation in the 1770s. The right-wing Proud Boys’ strategic plan for taking over buildings in the Capitol complex on January 6 was titled: “1776 Returns,” and even more famously, newly elected representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) wrote on January 5, 2021: “Remember these next 48 hours. These are some of the most important days in American history.” On January 6, she wrote: “Today is 1776.”

Trump has repeatedly called those January 6 insurrectionists “patriots.” 

Biden yesterday called Trump out for “trying to steal history the same way he tried to steal the election.”  

Indeed. The insurrectionists at the Capitol were not patriots. They were trying to overthrow the government in order to take away the right at the center of American democracy: our right to determine our own destiny. Commemorating them as heroes is the 21st century’s version of erecting Confederate statues.

The January 6th insurrectionists were nothing like the community at Valley Forge, made up of people who had offered up their lives to support a government pledged, however imperfectly in that era, to expanding that right. When faced with hunger, disease, and discord, that community—which was made up not just of a remarkably diverse set of soldiers from all 13 colonies, including Black and Indigenous men, but also of their families and the workers, enslaved and free, who came with them—worked together to build a force that could establish a nation based in the idea of freedom.  

The people at the Capitol on January 6 who followed in the footsteps of those who were living in the Valley Forge encampment 246 years ago were not the rioters. They were the people who defended our right to live under a government in which we have a say: those like the staffers who delayed their evacuation of the Capitol to save the endangered electoral ballots, and like U.S. Capitol Police officers Eugene Goodman, Harry Dunn, Caroline Edwards, and Aquilino Gonell and Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone, along with the more than 140 officers injured that day. 

Fanone, whom rioters beat and tasered, giving him a traumatic brain injury and a heart attack, yesterday told Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin, and Nick Reisman of Politico: “I think it’s important that every institution in this country, every American, take the responsibility of upholding democracy seriously. And everyone needs to be doing everything that they can to ensure that a.) Donald Trump does not succeed and b.) the MAGA movement is extinguished.”

Unlike the violence of the January 6th insurrectionists, the experience of the people at Valley Forge is etched deep into our national identity as a symbol of the sacrifice and struggle Americans have made to preserve and renew democracy. It is so central to who we are that we have commemorated it in myths and monuments and have projected into the future that its meaning will always remain at the heart of America. According to The Star Trek Encyclopedia, the Federation Excelsior-class starship USS Valley Forge will still be fighting in the 24th century… against the Dominion empire.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[karagin22]

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben

[doueverwonder]

why do i always find this stuff on the national parks website why are they the ones posting about Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben possibly being gay