Hello Sailor!: The Hidden History of Gay Life at SeaWhen gays had to be closeted, ships were the only places where homosexual men could not only be out but also camp. And on some liners to the sun and the New World, queens and butches had a ball. They sashayed and minced their way across the world's oceans. Never before has the story been told of the masses. These are the thousands of queer seafarers, mainly stewards, who sometimes even outnumbered the straight men in the catering departments of ships that were household names and the pride of the British fleet. Hello Sailor! uniquely shows what it was like to be queer at sea at a time when land meant straightness. |
Contents
When Queer was Covert | 27 |
A Place of Freedom | 49 |
Speaking Gay Secrets | 76 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
accepted appeared ashore became become boys British cabin called camp century changed Chapter colleagues crew cruise culture deck described developed drag dress early encounters example fact feel female friends gay men gay pornography gay seafarers gender happened heterosexual History homophobic homosexuality identity kind land leave less Liberation living London look male Martin masculine mean meant men's Merchant Navy never night offered officers particularly parties passenger ships performance period Picture courtesy Polari port Press queens Queer reasons refer relations relationships remembers role Royal sailors says seamen seen sense sexual ship's shows simply situation social someone sometimes space staff stewards stories straight term thing took usually viewed voyage waiter wanted women workers York young