06/04/2026
Walt Disney’s mother, Flora Call, was a German-American from Steuben, Ohio, so Walt always had a special affinity for General Von Steuben and his legacy.
Did you know that the United States of America gained its independence thanks in part to an openly gay immigrant General who was beloved by George Washington and the rest of the country?
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Freiherr Von Steuben was a Prussian Army officer who volunteered to help Washington train the ragtag Continental Army and get them in enough shape to face the mighty British troops.
Benjamin Franklin knew Von Steuben and knew that he was a homosexual (he was the lover of both Prince Henry of Prussia and Frederick the Great) but recommended him highly to the U.S. Congress, insisting that there was nothing wrong with a gay man serving in the Army.
Washington agreed with Franklin.
Von Steuben soon became a key figure, known as one of the fathers of the U.S. Army.
He reformed the way soldiers were trained and disciplined, writing an Army manual that is still being used today. He also organized supply lines efficiently and eliminated waste and graft.
These things are credited with helping to turn the tide of the war and boost morale, giving Americans hope that we could prevail.
He was given the rank of Major General and was celebrated in his time as a great hero of the American Revolution, with many statues and places named for him in the new nation.
After the war, General Von Steuben was made an American citizen and was an honored guest at the inauguration of George Washington.
He lived mostly in New York, but in 1783, the state of New Jersey presented him with the use of an estate in Bergen County now known as Steuben House, which had been confiscated from Loyalist Jan Zabriskie in 1781.
Located in historic New Bridge Landing, Steuben House is still there today.
General Von Steuben did not ever attempt to hide his orientation. At Valley Forge, he began intimate relationships with Benjamin Walker and William North, both military officers.
After the war, General Von Steuben lived with and legally adopted Walker and North and made them his heirs, which was a way for gay men to ensure that their lovers inherited their estate.
Another man, John W. Mulligan, the son of Hercules Mulligan, also lived with the trio.
Von Steuben Day now takes place in September in many cities throughout the United States.
It is often considered the German American event of the year. New York and Chicago have two of the biggest Von Steuben parades.
A statue of General Von Steuben sits in Lafayette Square, just north of the White House, looking out at it and all of Washington D.C.’s power brokers and military leaders as a reminder that gay people have served our nation faithfully and valiantly from the beginning. 🇺🇸🏳️🌈
