In Los Angel throughout the 1950s, gay men lived unr nstant harassment by the police. They risked ostracism and loss of employment if outed.
Contents:
- GAY HISTORY: THE GAY BARS AND VICE SQUADS OF 1950’S LOS ANGEL
- THE GAY BARS AND VICE SQUADS OF 1950'S LOS ANGEL
- RUNNG A GAY BAR THE 1950S
GAY HISTORY: THE GAY BARS AND VICE SQUADS OF 1950’S LOS ANGEL
A gatherg of gay men Los Angel 1951. This group found the Mattache Society In the wake of World War II a nformist impulse reasserted self Amerin society. At the same time thoands of gay men found themselv California after World War II, and they were prented wh the problem of… * gay bars 1950s *
A gatherg of gay men Los Angel 1951. At the same time thoands of gay men found themselv California after World War II, and they were prented wh the problem of livg a life the midst of social disapproval and police reprsn.
In Los Angel throughout the 1950s, the culture of gay men functned very much below the radar. Unr nstant harassment by the police, homosexuals risked social ostracism and loss of employment if outed. Homosexualy as a disease.
The domant perceptn of homosexualy the 1950s was that was a disease.
THE GAY BARS AND VICE SQUADS OF 1950'S LOS ANGEL
* gay bars 1950s *
Most employers and ernment agenci barred homosexuals wh moraly cls and they were wily nsired to be secury risks. It clud homosexualy as a mental disease. It was wily njectured that homosexualy rulted om emotnal trmas childhood, as is the se wh other mental illns, and that geics played ltle to no role.
On this basis the practice of nversn therapy took hold, wh wispread attempts to change people om homosexual to heterosexual (here are jt a few exampl om stunts at Oberl College Oh). It was mon practice for employers to prohib homosexualy. Homosexuals had long been barred om employment feral jobs, a policy that was rerced 1953 by Dwight Eisenhower’s Executive Orr 10450.
Private employers varied on this issue, but most would fire any employee who was disvered to be gay. Th at a very basic level, to intify onelf as a homosexual public was to ve a lifetime of poverty. An unfortunate tenncy was for many people to nflate homosexuals wh pedophil and serial killers.
RUNNG A GAY BAR THE 1950S
A survey nducted as late as 1967 for a CBS documentary (see the full program or a shorter versn) termed that two thirds of Amerins viewed homosexuals wh “disgt, disfort, or fear” while a majory favored laws agast all homosexual acts. The rise of the gay bar L. Due to an important urt se 1951, California beme the first state where gay bars uld legally operate.
This rrpond wh the first, haltg steps towards creatg advocy anizatns for gay rights.