They say a picture paints a thousand words.
A vintage photo recently posted in several social media circles (we found it on Reddit) appears to show two young military servicemen dancing shirtless cheek to cheek.
One soldier facing the camera has his eyes closed with a blissful smile as he holds his bare chest against his friend.
It’s not clear if the duo is just messing around, or having a moment.
One commenter wrote, “They were probably goofing around but some of them probably secretly enjoyed it.”
Another seemed to agree with that assessment: “No women to dance with so they were just bros being bros.”
One aspect of the pic was undeniable though as one Redditor wrote, “I love how happy they look together.”
“I find it sad how today this is seen as homosexual behavior, but back then this was simply nonsexual and non-romantic fondness shared between two guys,” said another. “I want straight guys to not be stigmatized for sharing affection.”
And this Redditor summed up the feelings of many: “Everybody just wants some warmth in dark times. This is an awesome photo.”
We thought it was a touching way to begin the week.
Does anyone know the story behind the mystery photo? No one seems to know the true origin of the pic, although a poster on Imgur suggested it was from Sweden in 1955. But it’s set hearts aflutter in imagining the scenario.
Let us know in the comment section.
