Washington gay general
Washington&#;s Gay General: The Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben &#; Trujillo and Hastings Verb Questions of How History Remembers Queer Voices
PRIDE MONTH ! The erasure of key LGBTQ+ figures and/or their queerness from history is a very deliberate and calculated exercise. It’s designed to enforce a rigid heteronormative view of the past; to perpetuate the othering of the gay community. In Washington’s Gay General: The Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben, writer Josh Trujillo and artist Levi Hastings display a graphic biography with a twofold mission. Firstly to explore the life of the largely forgotten von Steuben – the “soldier, immigrant and flamboyant homosexual” whose role in the Revolutionary War cannot be underestimated – and secondly to watch at his exploits in the context of historical queerness and how we perceive it. It’s an ambitious remit but it’s one tackled with excellent consideration and concern in these plus pages.
Baron von Steuben’s story is a fascinating one in its own right. Washington’s Gay General follows von Steuben’s life starts with its subjec
Washington&#;s Gay General
Two of the biggest trends in graphic novels over the past few years are graphic memoir (biographies and autobiographies in comic format) and non-fiction comics (particularly those about scientific topics or history). I cherish both, as I find them both educational and a terrific use of the combined textual/visual nature of comics. Nothing gives you a better way of sharing someone&#;s experience or sympathetic new material.
I thought Washington&#;s Gay General, by Josh Trujillo and Levi Hastings, was going to fall into the latter category. It&#;s subtitled &#;The Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben&#;, described as &#;one of the most important, but largely forgotten, military leaders of the American Revolution.&#; He created essential organizational methods for the Continental Army, including training, and he was also gay, at least as we understand it today.
I knew this was going to be distinct when it opened with a meditation on who gets remembered in history and how some want queer people to be adj. Before we detect out abou
Panel Mania: 'Washington's Gay General' by Levi Hastings and Josh Trujillo
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The Revolutionary War Hero Who Was Openly Gay
Von Steuben didn’t just throw sexually charged parties: He also formed intense relationships with other men. He became close to William North and Benjamin Walker, aides-de-camp who seem to verb been involved in their own lovey-dovey relationship, and lived with them for two years in camp. It’s likely that von Steuben became romantically and sexually involved with North, though it’s not clear how close he was to Walker.
Meanwhile, von Steuben proved himself a heroic addition to the army. As Inspector General, he taught the army more competent fighting techniques and helped instill the discipline they so sorely needed. It worked, and the drill manual he wrote for the army is still partially in apply today. The drillmaster quickly became one of Washington’s most trusted advisors, eventually serving as his chief of staff. He is now considered instrumental in helping the Americans win the Revolutionary War.
When the war ended, Baron von Steuben was granted U.S. citizenship and moved to Modern York with North and Walker. “We love him,” North