John McCrae gay??

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
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I've done a fair amount of reading about John McCrae and this is the first time anyone has suggested that he was gay.
You don't have to be homophobic to consider this an insult to one of our best poets.
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
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Calgary, AB
Who cares?

The poem is a classic, about and written by a veteran of the First World War. It struck a chord in survivors of that war, others that followed and among those of us to whom wars are historical events that friends or loved ones were caught and/or fought in. McCrae's sexual orientation, regardless of who claims what, has no bearing on what he wrote.

As for it being an insult of some kind, I have a hard time believing that man that wrote those words would really care: he devoted his life to serving his country and his fellow man. I doubt he would have denied non-heterosexual soldiers their voice or treatment if they were wounded and needed his care...
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
140
63
Backwater, Ontario.
Who cares?

The poem is a classic, about and written by a veteran of the First World War. It struck a chord in survivors of that war, others that followed and among those of us to whom wars are historical events that friends or loved ones were caught and/or fought in. McCrae's sexual orientation, regardless of who claims what, has no bearing on what he wrote.

As for it being an insult of some kind, I have a hard time believing that man that wrote those words would really care: he devoted his life to serving his country and his fellow man. I doubt he would have denied non-heterosexual soldiers their voice or treatment if they were wounded and needed his care...


Exactly: Who cares?? Nicely done, Wulfie. T'was the museum itself who released this bit of stuff. I thought places like that were supposed to be above conjecture.

As far as Baird et al, they will suck on their own nasty Karma soon enough methinks.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
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There are people out there who still think Liberace was straight.

I don't think Liberace ever denied that he was gay.

I think it was an insult to McCrae to publish that he was gay with no credible evidence.
 

coldstream

on dbl secret probation
Oct 19, 2005
5,160
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Chillliwack, BC
It seems to be fair game now, to shanghai someone's reputation for a political cause, long dead and unable to respond. I assume this Corsaro is a homosexual and considers hijacking this most iconic and illustrious of WW1 Canadian Soldiers will help his mission. All it shows me is the true character of the homosexual pathology.. one where there are no borders, no rules, no respect for others, no understanding of truth.. and a desperate need for validation.. and the company of others.. in such a miserable predicament.
 
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wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
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38
Calgary, AB
It seems to be fair game now, to shanghai someone's reputation for a political cause, long dead and unable to respond. I assume this Corsaro is a homosexual and considers hijacking this most iconic and illustrious of WW1 Canadian Soldiers will help his mission. All it shows me is the true character of the homosexual pathology.. one where there are no borders, no rules, no respect for others, no understanding of truth.. and a desperate need for validation.. and the company of others.. in such a miserable predicament.


While I won't argue that Cosaro seems to be trying to make a half-assed attempt to tie McCrae to his cause (after reading the link the whole thing seems weak in the face of other evidence, citing love letters to women, and claims of engagement by women), I also don't think its fair to say all homosexuals share the same mindset and "desperate need for validation". I do think there is a willingness to strike out by some homosexuals who have felt repressed by society over the years, but its like any other generalization: not necessarily true and definately 100% applicable.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
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Vancouver Island
Who cares?

The poem is a classic, about and written by a veteran of the First World War. It struck a chord in survivors of that war, others that followed and among those of us to whom wars are historical events that friends or loved ones were caught and/or fought in. McCrae's sexual orientation, regardless of who claims what, has no bearing on what he wrote.

As for it being an insult of some kind, I have a hard time believing that man that wrote those words would really care: he devoted his life to serving his country and his fellow man. I doubt he would have denied non-heterosexual soldiers their voice or treatment if they were wounded and needed his care...

YJ and a few other homophobes perhaps. Certainly not any rational person.
 

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
10,168
536
113
Regina, SK
All it shows me is the true character of the homosexual pathology....
Homosexuality's not a pathology, it's a natural condition, not a disease. It's only people who get their values from the wrong place who think it is, and it's the way those people treat homosexuality and homosexuals that lead to foolish excesses like this unsupported claim about John McCrae.
 

Tonington

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 27, 2006
15,441
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Yes, coldstream, please post some stains showing gay cells, and non-gay cells...retard. Stop bastardizing English and use words properly, not to fit your stupid agenda. Thankfully stupidity isn't a pathology either, but sometimes I wonder about the philosophical similarities... /flame
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
9,949
21
38
kelowna bc
All this crap about people being gay in nuts. I have always maintained that half the great
poets, actors, musicians and in some cases great leaders were gay. Even Alexander the
Great.
It is what is in a mans or woman's heart that counts not their gender or their dream of being,
KD Lang can sing, John MCcRea could write poetry and serve our country on the front line
which is more than we can say for most of us. He also did not shrink from giving the
ultimate sacrifice. All this nonsense about sin, and hell and all that goes with it is just a
bunch of mumbling speech that foments hatred and, and false images so the people
engaging in it such activity can feel better about themselves.
Now I am and old grandpa to some 23 grandchildren and I don't know too much about the
gay lifestyle, but I have friends who are and I can say that they are genuine people who
don't look down on others, and they are tolerant of other peoples beliefs and just want the
same in return. If we could just get beyond this perhaps, we could work together to solve
some of the worlds real problems. I am not upset about the fact that someone revealed
that John was gay, who would have know. What I am upset about is that somehow it makes
a difference because I thought that maybe we could get beyond that, but I guess not.
 

weaselwords

Electoral Member
Nov 10, 2009
518
4
18
salisbury's tavern
I don't think Liberace ever denied that he was gay.

I think it was an insult to McCrae to publish that he was gay with no credible evidence.
I think the libel suits Liberace won against the Hollywood Confidential magazine (1957) & the Daily Mirror newpaper in 1959 for an article written in 1956 would suggest differently
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
192
63
Nakusp, BC
I think the libel suits Liberace won against the Hollywood Confidential magazine (1957) & the Daily Mirror newpaper in 1959 for an article written in 1956 would suggest differently
Was anybody openly gay in the 50s? Seems to me that not only could it get you killed, or jailed in many places but it would end your career. It was the McCarthy era after all and queer and commie were synonymous. Insiders may have known but it was hidden from the public. It wasn't until the 60s that most of them felt safe enough to come out of the closet.

50 years! - we have come a long way baby (at least most of us, Coldstream being an exception).

As has been noted: homophobes are usually closet queens.
 

relic

Council Member
Nov 29, 2009
1,408
3
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Nova Scotia
What't the rule,how long do they have to wait before they can start altering {making up}history to suit an agenda ? I think it's getting easier now,younger people don't care what happened more than twenty minutes ago and some people think that if it's in print {or someone in "authority" says it it must be true.