I stole Katie's reading from her to post this

[tsukikage]

From Katie's readings for her Women in Modern America class:
"[...]in early 1943 the military began systematically to issue the blue discharge to soldiers suspected of homosexuality. The new policy relied ona three-part typology for understanding homosexuality. At the one end of the spectrum was the violent offender who committed sodomy by force and was subject to court-martial. At the other end of the spectrum, to be treated and returned to duty, was the "casual" homosexual who had engaged in homosexuality due to curiosity or intoxication. Finally-in between these two extremes-the "true pervert was to be discharged undesirably."
You'd think those in a stable, committed relationship with a man would be preferred to those who had one-night-stands with men because they were drunk...

Comments

[tiwonge.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I'd find it hard to believe that in 1943, among soldier-aged men, that many of the people in that second category were in a committed relationship with other men.

It's not for nothing that there's a reputation that homosexual men are extremely promiscuous. While some stable, committed relationships may have existed (and do exist now), I'd think that they would have been extremely rare among 18 year old men. In 1943, homosexuality was even more of a taboo than it is now. I just can't see committed relationships being common.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

That's true...

[webfiend.livejournal.com]

From what little I've heard (only a few of the same-sex couples I know are that old), those who were in a stable, committed, and (especially) quiet relationship were generally ignored. But stuff like the discharge were always a threat if they did anything to bug anyone.