Von steuben was gay

Homosexuality was punishable by death in all 13 of the new United States. The Continental Army began the American Revolution as an undisciplined, rag-tag militia comprised of farmers, artisans, and laborers. They had been defeated in every conventional engagement of the war. As the men languished in the abysmal conditions of Valley Forge during the infamous winter of , contemplating the futility of their cause, a foreign officer arrived at the camp.

History has been kind to Churchill in large part because, as he said, it was written by the victors. It also tends to be written from a white, heterosexual, cisgender perspective, at least until now. Queerness has been scrubbed from history, not celebrated. Born in in wartime Prussia, von Steuben turned his humble beginnings into a life worth living and, like any self-respecting gay person, did so via creative lying and impeccable performance — queer superpowers that would carry him far.

Baron Friedrich von Steuben was known for his bravery and the discipline and grit he brought to the American troops. Last Updated: January 31, Gay men have always been part of the American military. In an era before gay marriage or open pride, military men fell in love, formed passionate friendships and had same-sex encounters.

What are the odds that the charge against him was made up, to allow Prussia, to let him go as an advisor to America without angering the British? Maybe similar to the broken cannons Prussia delivered to the revolutionaries. Were they really broken? What has Prussia to deal with Steuben at that time?