Public DomainBaron Friedrich von Steuben was born in Prussia, but hes considered a father of the United States military.The history of America is diverse. If one spends enough time combing through the historical record, theyll find that it is filled to the brim with people of different origins, races, religions, creeds, and sexualities.While some of these features came to be accepted, others remained hidden. Today, researchers pore over historical documents to learn more about the beliefs and lifestyles of certain individuals. This often comes into play in discussions surrounding sexuality. Few of Americas founding figures wrote explicitly about their sexual attraction, and as a result, the bedroom preferences of notable men have become a hotly debated topic.One of these men is Baron Friedrich von Steuben. Not only was he openly gay, according to some experts, but his same-sex attraction was supposedly widely known and even accepted at the time.Was Baron Friedrich Von Steuben Gay?Friedrich von Steubens name frequently emerges in discussions of gay figures from early American history. A 2018 article by HISTORY dubbed him The Revolutionary War Hero Who Was Openly Gay, and a clip from a stand-up comedy show about his alleged homosexuality recently went viral on TikTok, amassing over 502,000 views.When the history books tell you this guy was openly gay, theres st they noticed, jokes host Dawn Brodey in the clip.From here, Brodey gives her co-host a little pop quiz. According to one of Friedrichs aides, he threw parties in Valley Forge. He would invite all the young officers to dine with him in his private party under what conditions? Brodey, a comedian with a history degree, asks.The answer? The condition was that the guests wear no pants.Public DomainHoward Pyles 19th-century painting of Baron Friedrich von Steuben and George Washington at Valley Forge.This isnt the only reason that many historians believe von Steuben was gay. There were rumors that he was dismissed from the Prussian army for homosexuality, though historians have not found substantial evidence of this.While some early figures acknowledged the rumors, they often downplayed or dismissed them. In a letter to George Washington in 1777, Benjamin Franklin stressed von Steubens battlefield qualifications above all else. Washington himself admired the Prussian military officer, calling him much of a gentleman and a man of military knowledge who was acquainted with the world, according to Friedrich Kapps 1859 biography about von Steuben.After joining the American Revolutionary War effort, von Steuben became instrumental in the armys eventual success. All the while, he seemingly pursued gay relationships. He became close with two men, William North and Benjamin Walker, eventually living with them and perhaps even beginning a sexual relationship with them. He later adopted the men a fairly common practice before the legalization of civil unions and gay marriage.Von Steuben was also believed to have been romantically involved with his secretary, a man named John Mulligan. When von Steuben died in 1794, he left Mulligan his library. All of this could be conjecture but what about von Steubens purported pantsless parties?The Alleged Pants-Off Parties Of Friedrich Von SteubenThe allegations about von Steubens no-pants get-togethers come from a historical account of a party he hosted. According to the memoir of Pierre-tienne Du Ponceau, von Steubens secretary and translator, younger officers were once invited to an event at Valley Forge. The rule for the gathering was that no one could be admitted that had on a whole pair of breeches.Did this mean that von Steuben was hosting pants-off dance-offs? The historical record is unclear, but probably not. Most historians believe that von Steuben was not encouraging guests to show up without pants. Instead, his invitation was likely a joke about how poorly supplied officers were during the war, with many unable to maintain a single complete pair of pants. Public DomainBaron von Steuben transformed the Continental Army through strict discipline and standardized drills.Regardless, it should be noted that standards of sexuality were different at the time, and many behaviors that one might consider to be queer- or gay-coded today were not seen as such in the era.For example, it was fairly common for men to share a bed with each other, especially when traveling or in tight quarters. John Adams once famously slept in the same bed as Benjamin Franklin, though they spent much of the night arguing about whether they should sleep with the window open or closed.There are also many instances of men writing to each other in language that could be described as romantic today but would not strike a reader as such at the time. Male friends would often employ a broad emotional vocabulary to express same-sex love, including love that could be physically affectionate. However, this love was not necessarily romantic or erotic.This is not to say that same-sex love and relationships did not exist. Rather, it simply shows how perceptions of what it meant to be gay and what constituted queer behavior have changed dramatically over the years. Where this becomes problematic is in historical study, as it can be tempting to project modern conceptions of sexuality onto people who had an entirely different idea of what the word means.What can be said definitively is that many of Baron Friedrich von Steubens behaviors and actions have led historians to believe that he expressed attraction to and potentially had relationships with other men. Still, given that sodomy was a criminal act at the time, its a stretch to say that he was openly gay, even as his behavior was seemingly known and tolerated by many of his compatriots. @hilfpod This isnt your average summer school. Class is in session and #HILF is LIVE tonight, 7/2 at @flapperscomedy and there are more pop quizzes like this one coming your way. #history #comedy #lgbt #historytok original sound History Id Like to F*ck All Thats Interesting reached out to Brodey via email and Instagram direct message.After reading about the purported homosexuality of Baron Friedrich von Steuben, explore the debate about whether President Abraham Lincoln was gay. Then, learn how the Stonewall Riots changed the course of queer history forever.The post Everyone Knew: Some Believe A General In The American Revolution Was Openly Gay. He Had A Strange Rule For Party Guests appeared first on All That's Interesting.