"Dear Abby" by Abigail Van Buren Archiv | Makg Gay History

Contents:

• MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST
• MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST
• MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST
• MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST
• DEAR ABBY: “GAY CO STILL BTER ABOUT MAN'S SLIGHT 20 YEARS AGO”

MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST

Episo NotFrom Eric Marc: To unrstand how a heterosexual, Jewish, Midwtern dghter of a Rsian immigrant sglehandly fluenced how Amerins thought about gay people, how parents saw their gay kids, and how gay people felt about themselv, you have to go back time. Ple Phillips (nicknamed “Popo” by her fay) affirmatively took on the issue of homosexualy and the rights of gay people her lumn—begng the late 1960s/early 1970s—at a time when dog so risked backlash om her rears and the newspapers which her lumn appeared. She was one of the only high-profile celebri to do so durg an era when gay people were still nsired sick, sful, and crimal.

But spe the bags of hate mail she received om those who disagreed wh her, she never flched or backed down, which is why she holds a special place the hearts of gay people (and their fay members) who grew up wh her lumn.

Phillips’s admonn to the parents of a gay child that they should “love him, love him, love him, ” rgs as te today as did when she first wrote those words her lumn s of the lumns Phillips referenc her Makg Gay History terview ncerns people who were upset about new neighbors, a lumn that she said gay people loved. That same year Jeanne was award the first ever “Straight for Equaly” award om PFLAG (then known as Parents and Friends of Lbians and Gays).

MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST

Jeanne’s mother first remend PFLAG to the distrght parent of a gay child a “Dear Abby” lumn learn more about Ple Phillips and the “Dear Abby” lumn, have a look at the rourc below. Ple Phillips’s oral history n be found Eric Marc’s book Makg Gay History.

———Episo TranscriptEric Marc Narratn: I’m Eric Marc and this is Makg Gay my first round of terviews for my book, I only spoke to one person who was a hoehold name: Dear Abby. My immigrant grandmother went right to Dear Abby’s lumn where she uld get the latt advice on everythg om marriage and children to abortn and homosexualy. From the start she got letters askg for advice on homosexualy—om gay people who wanted to change to parents who wanted to know what they did wrong.

She said posive thgs about gay men and women and homosexualy general. That earned her bags of hate mail and a place the hearts of gay people everywhere.

MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST

When you first started wrg your lumn 1956, did you get letters ncerng the issue of homosexualy or lbianism?

“Dear Abby: To get right to the pot, I’m gay. But I don’t like beg gay. I also have a reer I enjoy greatly, bankg, which further advancement is impossible if be known that I’m gay.

Psychiatrists and other therapists I’ve gone to have tried to help me adjt to my homosexualy rather than help me to change. Abby, adjtg to beg homosexual is fe for those who have accepted their homosexualy, but I haven’t.

MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST

” I say, “Dear Unhappy: Did you choose to be homosexual? But if you have always had erotic feelgs for men stead of women, then face , you are homosexual and even though you may be able to change your behavr, you will not be able to change your feelgs.

DEAR ABBY: “GAY CO STILL BTER ABOUT MAN'S SLIGHT 20 YEARS AGO”

Some therapists sist that if a homosexual is sufficiently motivated, he or she n bee straight.

He said regardg homosexualy of urse there is no cure bee ’s not a Alexanr said Yah. ” Now I’ve known a lot of gay people.

I’ve always thought people were born that You mt have known people who were gay at that time then, Yah, well, my hairdrser. The guy that was drivg the helipter jt cracked Knowg someone like that om that part of the untry, I would thk would have given you some sight to what was like for young kids growg up small towns who were gay. And I would image you received lots of letters om homosexuals, men and women, wh And parents of gay people, too.