Date of Award
Fall 12-2015
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Program
History
Department
History
Major Professor
Dr. Mary Mitchell
Second Advisor
Dr. Günter Bischof
Third Advisor
Dr. Andrea Mosterman
Abstract
The demands of WWII mobilization led to the creation of the first standing women's army in the US known as the Women's Army Corps (WAC). An unintended consequence of this was that the WAC provided queer women with an environment with which to explore their gender and sexuality while also giving them the cover of respectability and service that protected them from harsh societal repercussions. They could eschew family for their military careers. They could wear masculine clothing, exhibit a masculine demeanor, and engage in a homosocial environment without being seen as subversive to the American way of life. Quite the contrary: the outside world saw them as helping to protect their country. This paper looks at the life of one such queer soldier, Dorothee Gore. Dorothee's letters, journals, and memorabilia demonstrate that for many lesbians of her generation, service in the WACS during WWII was a time of relatively open camaraderie and acceptance by straight society.
Recommended Citation
Cauley, Catherine S., "Queering the WAC: The World War II Military Experience of Queer Women" (2015). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2062.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2062
Included in
Cultural History Commons, History of Gender Commons, Military History Commons, Women's History Commons
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.