Courting homosexuals in the military: The management of homosexuality in the Canadian military, 1939--1945

During the Second World War, contradictory anti-homosexual policies in all three branches of the Canadian military made homosexual men vulnerable to discipline and punishment. The category of ‘homosexual’ was inflexibly cast as invidious in public discourse. Medical policy required the immediate discharge of homosexuals as ‘military misfits.’ Under military law, servicemen were court-martialled for homosexual indecency. As the war progressed, more extensive policing and surveillance techniques meant that queer men were increasingly likely to be discovered and prosecuted. Since the regulations governing homosexual activity were promulgated poorly and enforced erratically, many men were unaware of them until they were caught. However, all knew that homosexuality was a serious offence against morality and masculinity. Meanwhile, queer men were commonly appreciated at a personal and professional level, where they were not originally judged categorically as ‘homosexual.’ Many servicemen at all levels of command protected their queer comrades and subordinates from the gaze of hostile military authorities. The mobilisation for war provided queer men with unprecedented opportunities in Canada and overseas to explore their sexuality. While they were active in all types of military units, their visibility depended on the opportunities offered by their units. In all services, officers found guilty by court-martial of homosexuality were discharged while other ranks were most commonly sentenced to periods of detention. Queer veterans who escaped detection often remember their service as formative in their social and sexual development. Loyal servicemen who were persecuted or prosecuted for their sexual difference remain deeply resentful towards the nation that broke faith with them.; Using a variety of military records and interviews with veterans, I explore the place of homosexuality in a variety of military environments and study relationships between servicemen at various levels of command. I examine in detail the occasions when homosexuality became a significant issue for men in their personal lives and when it became a problem at the institutional level.