Burning Blue My Policeman

Just when I get discouraged about how the southern states are passing homophobic and transphobic legislation, I am reminded about how bad things have been in the past. I watched two movies on Prime Video. It carries a lot of LGBTQ+ films from various distributors and streaming services for an extra charge. One is a story, titled My Policeman, set in England in the 1950’s in which a married man carries on an affair with another man. His wife outs the lover, who is sent to prison for two years. When he gets out, he is so disabled by the physical abuse that he is unable to walk again. The couple take him in and care for him. The wife finally confesses what she had done and leaves saying that she has done enough penance.

The other movie Burning Blue, is about two Navy pilots on an aircraft carrier in the 1990’s. This was during the period of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” which was an excuse for a witch hunt. The movie contains stock footage of air operations, although the number 44 on the island of the aircraft carrier is fiction. They are both married, but over time they become attracted to each other. They try to be discreet, but they are tracked by Naval Intelligence. When they are threatened with court martial, one either intentionally or accidentally is killed in a plane crash. The other openly grieves for him and splits with his wife. When he comes to court martial, the Admiral in charge offers to dismiss the case because of pressure from the pilot’s father who is a close friend. The pilot chooses to resign instead. He ends up alone and in despair. Of course, women and gays are allowed to serve openly aboard ships now.

That would have been impossible in 1959 when I was in the Navy. I was around a few close scrapes in the Navy and with former employers, but I never was outed nor faced such drastic circumstances. I survived by lying. I knew people whose lives were ruined by the Navy. I knew one guy whose partner was murdered in Houston outside a gay bar. Such incidents were a regular occurrence in DC. My conflicts primarily were internal with lots of repressed anger, frustration, and regrets about what might have been. I lived openly with two different guys over several years in open relationships. My two failed relationships suffered from external circumstances, such as jobs, as much as mutual conflict. We had no role models of how gay couples could live happily.

Now same-sex couples can legally get married, adopt children, and participate in PTA activities. Of course, some states are ignoring federal laws and court rulings and restricting these rights. The penalties are worse for transgender people. The question is how long it may take before the Republicans reverse these legal rights that most citizens have. The trend is heading backward.

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