Date and Time: January 30, 2024 | 5:15pm – 6:30pm GMT
Join the Royal Museums Greenwich for a free online talk exploring the queer history of the Royal Navy and the methods we can use to recover it.
Dr Seth Stein LeJacq (New York Institute of Technology) will investigate sexual cultures at sea, discipline and military justice. This includes a long string of naval sex scandals, beginning with the 1698 trial of Captain Edward Rigby.
What is the queer history of the Royal Navy in the age of sail? How did sailors break their society’s rules about sex and gender? Did they enter into same-sex relationships? Did they act in other ways that men ‘weren’t supposed to’ and what were the consequences? Is it possible to learn more about these sailors’ lives and why is it so important to do so?
LeJacq will reveal a great deal of gender and sexual diversity on naval ships, as well as a surprising amount of tolerance for that diversity. He will argue that, while the navy did punish some abusive sexual behavior harshly, most same-sex relationships and breaches of gender norms escaped negative consequences.
Event details
This event is free and open to everyone, and will take place via Zoom. There is no need to book; please click on the button below shortly before 5:15pm GMT on the day.
For more information please click here.
For other events in this series at Royal Museums Greenwich, please click here.
