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mayisfaraway's review against another edition
5.0
So I finished this yesterday night, and after my traditionnal "I'll sleep on it", here is what I thought.
I've been meaning to read this book for nearly three years now since I took a course on sex and gender in the US military while studying abroad, and I really enjoyed it!
The paradoxical association of the macho, patriarchal and conservativeness of the military with the LGBTQI+ world and women always puzzled me and Bérubé's detailed rendition and analysis of it was so enlightening and informative.
The interviwees' stories were really touching, almost made me tear up at times and really furthered Bérubé's point. I often found that interviews can be misused, or misinterpreted by the interviewer/historian at times, but I think Bérubé used each of them sensibly.
This book really gave me a new perspective on LGBTQI+ history in the USA, this time period and the gay rights movement that followed the decades after.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested to LGBTQI+ history, WWII and wants to broaden their understanding of queer culture, systematic oppressions and the beginning of the gay rights movement in the US.
I've been meaning to read this book for nearly three years now since I took a course on sex and gender in the US military while studying abroad, and I really enjoyed it!
The paradoxical association of the macho, patriarchal and conservativeness of the military with the LGBTQI+ world and women always puzzled me and Bérubé's detailed rendition and analysis of it was so enlightening and informative.
The interviwees' stories were really touching, almost made me tear up at times and really furthered Bérubé's point. I often found that interviews can be misused, or misinterpreted by the interviewer/historian at times, but I think Bérubé used each of them sensibly.
This book really gave me a new perspective on LGBTQI+ history in the USA, this time period and the gay rights movement that followed the decades after.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested to LGBTQI+ history, WWII and wants to broaden their understanding of queer culture, systematic oppressions and the beginning of the gay rights movement in the US.
hectaizani's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fascinating and thought provoking. The writing style was somewhat dry and a little repetitive as is the nature of a non-fiction study. The author did an excellent job collecting source material from the people involved and didn't have to rely solely on statistics and case files.
Homosexuality in the military has always been a controversial topic. Mainly because the military assumes that sexual orientation in some way reflects on ability to carry out the necessary functions of a soldier. Soldiers that were discovered to be gay or lesbian were harassed and dishonorably discharged despite months or years of faithful service. Even today the military embraces a policy of non-acceptance.
Homosexuality in the military has always been a controversial topic. Mainly because the military assumes that sexual orientation in some way reflects on ability to carry out the necessary functions of a soldier. Soldiers that were discovered to be gay or lesbian were harassed and dishonorably discharged despite months or years of faithful service. Even today the military embraces a policy of non-acceptance.
mitobites's review against another edition
5.0
I have been hunting down this book ever since I saw some out of context quotes posted online, and it was well worth the wait! This book details the troubles gay men and lesbians faced enlisting in the armed forces, while in training and combat, and after the war was over and they had to return to "normal society," AND the unique spaces for joy that gay and lesbian GIs carved out for themselves. Especially now, queer history is incredibly important, and it was really insightful to realize that current anti-trans bigotry mirrors 1950s post-war homophobia to a shocking degree, and it was nothing short of beautiful to realize how our current activism and spaces and sense of fun all have their roots in something that came long before. A must-read if you're at all interested in queer history, and we all should be.
k80uva's review against another edition
4.0
This was a sweeping and fascinating account of the experience of gay and lesbian servicepeople during World War II. It's a very comprehensive book, touching on trends in psychology, institutional changes in the military, and an oral history-based account of the experiences of individual gay and lesbian GIs. Has a brief but interesting discussion of advocacy on behalf of queer ex-military personnel at the end. This book pairs very well with Randy Shilts' "Conduct Unbecoming."
bfdbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Very detailed stories of what happened to homosexual people during WWII. It is horrible to read about...but I did find my mind wandering quite a bit as the stories were repetitive. I definitely think it's critical for anyone wanting to know about homosexual history in the US to read this book.