Join me for a slide lecture I will present on Saturday, June 21st at 10:30 a.m.
During World War II, the Treasure Island Naval Base stockades and psychiatric ward bore witness to the first stirrings of a 70-year evolution in military policy towards gays. Psychiatric practices screened out, hospitalized, and discharged homosexuals rather than punishing and imprisoning them. Visual culture from the period, psychiatric and popular assumptions, and prejudices illuminate the impact of the war effort and psychiatry on society’s attitudes towards an emerging minority identity.
After the lecture, stay for lunch at one of the Island’s cafes or bring your own picnic lunch. The incredible views are accessible by car, bike, or on foot. A bicycle rental shop is located at the back of Building One. Several wineries have tasting rooms on the Island and are open in the afternoon.
Part of a monthly free lecture series titled “Little Island, Big Ideas,” presented by the Treasure Island Museum.
Postcard artwork: McClelland Barclay (1891-1943), Sailor Loading Fixed Amunition, 1942. Oil on canvas. 48-031-N, Department of Navy-Naval Historical Center, Navy Art Collection.
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