#patcaps

So, obviously there was legal repercussion for those found to be "practising" homosexuality (ie. Men having sex with each other), due to male homosexual activity being illegal at the time of WWII. Any evidence of a relationship, even chaste love letters (or sometimes simply witness statements), were enough to convict you, even if you were a man who hadn't been sexually active with a man. If there was any evidence - or falsified evidence - that you had engaged with another man in a romantic way, you could be persecuted just the same, and face a prison sentence, being listed as a deviant by the government, and/or conversion therapy such as chemical castration. Which may be why he was so afraid of the envelope being unearthed - IF it did in fact contain an affectionate letter or declaration, that was sufficient evidence for him and/or Havers to be prosecuted.

However, there was still repercussion if you were found to be a "non-practising" homosexual, and this is likely why Cap struggles so much with his own identity - even though he didn't have a homosexual relationship (beyond flirting and perhaps a love letter), he would've faced devastating consequences for who he is.

So here's a look at some of the possible consequences, why they happened, and how they link to Cap's behaviours.

Being discharged from the military - there's almost no way you would be allowed to remain in service unless your superior elected to "cover up the scandal". Your discharge may have prevented you from ever joining military service again. Towards the end of the war, you may have been allowed to stay because there was a desperation for more troops, BUT there was also a greater awareness of homosexuality in soldiers and a worse attitude towards that homosexuality. It would really come down to how "bad" your scandal was, how easily it could be covered up, and the opinion of your superiors towards homosexuality. If you had been one of the few allowed to stay, you could bet you would be demoted to the lowest rank, and a black spot always left over your name - homosexuals simply couldn’t be trusted with military secrets (more on that later) and wouldn’t be respected in positions of authority. Cap's entire identity, even down to his name, is intertwined with the military and his rank. We know nothing about his life before he joined. Losing this part of himself would be catastrophic, so it is the identity he holds most dearly now. Particularly up until S2E3, he holds his rank very dearly. His profession means everything to him.

Viewed as physically weak - homosexual men were viewed as physically inferior to heterosexual men. This is a contributing factor to being expelled from the military. An attraction to men was seen as a sign that something was physically wrong with you, and physical illness almost always meant you were unfit to serve. Being attracted to men also marred you as "effeminate" and "womanly", and therefore unfit for frontline work and - especially towards the beginning of the war - unfit for most military work. We see multiple times that Cap is seemingly eager to be on the frontlines, to fight and use weaponry. He makes an effort to be enthusiastic about objectively violent equipment such as grenades and tanks, but also to be well-informed about them. We also see Cap continuing to be athletic, even trying to improve his athleticism, though it is a pointless activity as a ghost. We can assume that this is because he values his ability to pass the physical fitness test required for military service.

Viewed as mentally ill - an attraction to men was also seen as a mental illness. This is another contributing factor to expulsion from the military, as mental illness disqualified you from service. As above, we know how highly Cap values his military work. But he also values being seen as a fortress, a man "stronger" than the emotional whims of the other ghosts. Of course, we see that he isn't - nobody can be. But his attempted repression of all emotion - not just his homosexual feelings - can be linked to his desire to be seen as stable and sound-of-mind, and therefore capable of military service.

Considered weak-of-morals - due to the assumption of "deviant" nature, and the above discussed mental weakness, homosexuals were considered to be dangerous to the war effort, because they were viewed as "easy targets" for enemy infiltration. It was assumed that these "feeble, effeminate" men would help the enemy - by being scared of the frontlines and committing desertion, by being weak against torture and giving away secrets, by being easy to manipulate into defecting, or by using their learned "sneakiness" to serve as a double agent. There were a lot of suspicions and rumours of homosexuals being innately "anti-British" or "anti-ally", and thus untrustworthy. Again, this is a reason they were deemed unfit for military service, especially higher positions where sensitive information was exchanged. Cap, as we know, takes secret information - and his duty to protect it - incredibly seriously. He repeatedly asserts the “evil” of the Nazis and the “good” of the allies, loudly declaring a strong moral opinion. He also attempts to bury any "deviant" whims, both in himself and others, for the good of "King and country" - everything he does must be for the good of "the war", even one that is long over. He cannot accept dropping that guard, because to drop your guard for a moment is to let the enemy win. He cannot even talk about his feelings, his buried secrets, because "Loose Lips Sink Ships".