Not Sweating the Small Stuff

The Courage of 'Dear Friends' in Wartime

Old photographs of 'Dear Friends' in wartime can be really moving.

For me, this is particularly the case when the relationship is not made absolutely explicit:



It's the tension between the courage that makes the subjects want to go public, and the 'prudence' that has them do this somewhat covertly. Though it is 'read' or understood by any gay guys.

Some guys of course wanted to be less covert:



And others, in a moment of bravado perhaps, just burst out and completely:

Perhaps it's that some blokes just had that strength of personality that allowed them to be their gay real selves. And would have been out in any era. For lesser personalities, maybe it was the intensity of experience that goes with war that gave them the courage to be out.

Whatever, I am fascinated with this particular coming-out-in-war phenomenon.

Fascinated and inspired.