Michael Waters

Michael Waters writes about 20th-century queer history. You can follow him on Twitter at @michaelwwaters.
Articles From This Author
5 Famous Ancient Roman Gladiators
Before ancient Roman gladiators fought grisly battles in rowdy public arenas like the Colosseum, they squared off in much more solemn venues: funerals. Early gladiator fights began in the 3rd century B.C.E. as ritual blood offerings to the spirits of recently departed nobles. ...read more
When the Military Expelled LGBTQ Soldiers With 'Blue Discharges'
In May 1944, Lemuel S. Brown, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II, received a blue slip of paper from the military, notifying him he was being dismissed from duty. The reason? “Undesirable” behavior—specifically, an accusation of “attempting to perpetrate an act of ...read more