Penny on Parade by Penny Taylor

Penny on Parade by Penny Taylor

In 1971, teenager Penny Taylor ran away from home and straight into the British Army at Guildford, the training camp for women who wanted to be soldiers.

Homosexuality had only just been decriminalized in England in 1967, and the first British gay pride rally was held in London in 1972, a year after Taylor joined the military. The UK's feminist movement still battled for reproductive rights, equal pay, and employment protections. This was the climate in which Taylor decided she was not like the other women she knew.

Confused by her feelings for her female best friend, unhappy with her family life, and frustrated by the restrictive expectations of women, she sought a different path. For Penny Taylor, army life wasn't easy, but she found not only herself, she also family, friends, and a future.

This is her story. Based on real events in her life, it is a coming-of-age and a coming-out story, set against the backdrop of the British military and the turbulent social climate of the 1970s

A member of the American Society of Interior Designers, Joie Wilson moved to Naples from North Carolina, where she was active in the historic preservation of the state's architectural heritage. Her design projects in Naples range from contemporary beachfront high-rise condominiums to both new and old cottages. Photographer Penny Taylor has lived and worked in Naples for thirty-five years. Her work is on permanent exhibit at the Norris Center in Naples, and her images have appeared in a variety of publications, including American Lawyer.