Author: Read with Pride

readwithpride.com There’s a certain rugged, salt-sprayed aesthetic that has always clung to the idea of the Royal Navy. From the towering masts of the HMS Victory to the sleek silhouettes of modern destroyers, the “Senior Service” is steeped in tradition, discipline, and, if you believe the legends, a whole lot of secret queer history. If …

Rum, Sodomy, and the Truth: Queer Life in the Royal NavyRead More

readwithpride.com The ocean has always been a place of mystery, adventure, and: if you know where to look: radical freedom. For centuries, the vast, blue expanse of the world’s oceans offered a unique kind of sanctuary for those who didn’t quite fit the rigid structures of life on land. While the term “gay cruise” might …

Pride at Sea: The Rise and Evolution of the Gay CruiseRead More

readwithpride.com When we think of 19th-century whaling, the mind usually goes to salt-crusted beards, the smell of ambergris, and the terrifying shadow of a Great White Whale. It’s a world of grit, grime, and hyper-masculinity. But if you look closer, past the harpoons and the blubber, you’ll find a history that is surprisingly, undeniably queer. …

The Love That Dared to Sail: Gay Men and the Whaling IndustryRead More

readwithpride.com There’s something undeniably romantic about the sea. For centuries, the image of the rugged sailor, wind-whipped and salt-sprayed, has been a staple of both high literature and our favorite gay romance novels. We’ve all read those MM romance books where two lonely hearts find solace in the middle of the Atlantic, or a “forced …

Anchors Aweigh: Navigating Gay Identity in the Modern Merchant MarinesRead More

readwithpride.com There is something about a man in a uniform: specifically, a crisp white sailor suit with those iconic navy stripes: that has sent hearts fluttering for over a century. Whether it’s the rugged charm of a merchant marine or the polished look of a naval officer, the “sexy sailor” isn’t just a coincidence of …

Sailors and the Sea: A Visual History of Nautical Queer StyleRead More

readwithpride.com There’s something about the salt air, the rhythmic creak of a wooden hull, and the vast, unending horizon that has always whispered of freedom. For centuries, while the “respectable” folks on land were busy enforcing rigid social hierarchies and strictly gendered expectations, the high seas were operating under a different set of rules. At …

Ports of Call: How Maritime Hubs Became Queer MeccasRead More

readwithpride.com When we think of the Golden Age of Piracy, our minds usually drift to rugged men with eye patches, peg legs, and a suspicious amount of rum. But if you look a little closer at the salt-stained pages of history, you’ll find that the high seas weren’t just a “boys’ club.” In fact, the …

Gender Fluidity and the Golden Age of Piracy: The Real Stories of Female PiratesRead More

readwithpride.com Ah, the golden age of travel. We’re talking massive smokestacks, the salt spray of the North Atlantic, and the kind of high-society drama that makes Downton Abbey look like a quiet tea party. But while history books love to obsess over the size of the Titanic’s propellers or the art deco mirrors on the …

Steerage to First Class: Queer Social Life on Historical Ocean LinersRead More

readwithpride.com There’s something inherently romantic: and, let’s be honest, slightly terrifying: about the idea of being trapped in a pressurized metal tube thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface. In the military world, they call it the “Silent Service.” For decades, that name held a double meaning for the queer sailors serving aboard submarines. It …

Submarines and Shared Secrets: Queer Life Below the WavesRead More

readwithpride.com When someone mentions Moby Dick, your brain probably goes straight to a giant white whale, a grumpy guy named Ahab with a peg leg, and a whole lot of nautical jargon that you probably skimmed through in high school. It’s the “Great American Novel,” the ultimate “man versus nature” epic. But here at Read …

Moby Dick: The Queer Subtext of the Great American Sea NovelRead More

readwithpride.com There is something inherently romantic: and let’s be honest, a little bit spicy: about the sea. The salt air, the vast horizon, and the rugged charm of men who spend months at sea have been staples of gay romance novels for as long as we’ve been telling stories. But beyond the chiseled jawlines and …

Shore Leave: A History of Queer Connection in the World’s HarborsRead More

readwithpride.com When we talk about “shipping” at Read with Pride, we’re usually debating which two characters in the latest MM romance books belong together. But today, we’re taking the term literally. We’re heading out to the high seas to look at the real-life heroes of the Navy. For decades, the horizon for gay and queer …

The Navy’s New Horizon: Life at Sea After ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’Read More

readwithpride.com There is something undeniably magnetic about the high seas. Whether it’s the salt spray hitting your face or the rhythmic creaking of a wooden hull, the ocean has always been a backdrop for adventure, discovery, and: if you’re a fan of MM romance books: some of the most intense “forced proximity” scenarios imaginable. At …

Tight Quarters: The Intimacy of Tall Ship Sailing and Shared BunksRead More

readwithpride.com There’s something about the vast, unpredictable blue of the ocean that just screams “romantic tension.” Maybe it’s the salt air, the isolation, or the fact that everyone looks better in a pea coat. Whatever the reason, MM romance books set on the high seas have become a cornerstone of queer fiction. At Read with …

From Cabin Boy to Captain: Why We Love MM Romance on the High SeasRead More

readwithpride.com When you think of “Vikings,” your mind probably goes straight to rugged beards, massive axes, and dragon-headed ships cutting through the icy fjords. But if you look a little closer at the history of the North Sea: and the massive shipping industry that defines modern Scandinavia: you’ll find a much more colorful story than …

Modern-Day Vikings: Queer Identity in Nordic Shipping HistoryRead More

readwithpride.com Ahoy, sailors and landlubbers alike! If you’ve ever cracked open one of our favorite MM romance books set on a rugged 18th-century schooner or a sleek modern-day yacht, you know there’s something inherently queer about the sea. The vast horizon, the salt spray, and: let’s be honest: the absolute peak of the “forced proximity” …

Law of the Sea: Navigating International Rights for Queer Maritime WorkersRead More

readwithpride.com When we think about the deep blue sea, our minds often drift to the sweeping epics found in gay adventure romance novels: rugged sailors, mysterious shipwrecks, and maybe a brooding captain or two. But out there, beyond the horizon and beneath the waves, there’s a real-life cast of heroes who are just as inspiring …

Queer Science on the Sea: The LGBTQ+ Researchers Protecting Our OceansRead More

readwithpride.com There’s something undeniably romantic about the open sea. The salt spray, the infinite horizon, and the feeling that, once you lose sight of land, the rules of the world don’t quite apply anymore. For centuries, the ocean has been a place of escape, a sanctuary for those who didn’t fit into the rigid boxes …

Smooth Sailing: The Future of Queer Life and Love on the Global OceansRead More

readwithpride.com Let’s get one thing straight (well, as straight as we get around here): the idea that being LGBTQ+ is “un-African” is one of the biggest historical gaslighting campaigns ever staged. If you’ve spent any time scrolling through the Read with Pride archives, you know we live for a good gay historical romance, but the …

Pre-colonial Same-Sex Relationships in Africa: Debunking the ‘Un-African’ MythRead More

readwithpride.com When we talk about gay historical romance, our minds often drift to the cobblestone streets of Victorian London or the marble temples of Ancient Greece. But if you’re looking for some of the most fascinating, structured, and culturally integrated male-male unions in history, you have to look toward the heart of Africa. Specifically, the …

The Zande Warriors: Ancient Male-Male Unions and ‘Boy-Wives’Read More