“After World War II, homosexuals had become a more visible minority in American society. U

“After World War II, homosexuals had become a more visible minority in American society. Upon completing their military service, many gay men and lesbians headed straight to New York and San Francisco instead of returning to small town life. Gay bars and hangouts, open for business in many major cities and some smaller urban areas, offered their patrons a place to socialize and be part of a community. Consequently, increased visibility fueled society’s intolerance toward homosexuals or, as they were more commonly referred to, fags, dykes, queers, deviants, and sex perverts. As the American public became more vocal in expressing their hatred, fear, and ignorance, the oppression of homosexuals became more widespread and extreme. Homosexual bars were subject to constant raids. Gay men and lesbians were continually harassed and interrogated by the police, and unjustly imprisoned by the judicial system. At the time, legal grounds for recourse were limited because homosexuality was illegal under state sodomy laws and public support was virtually non-existent. Even the American Civil Liberties Union wouldn’t take an official stand on gay rights until 1967.The United States government also did its part to promote homophobia. As part of their Cold War campaign to protect the country from "subversives,” homosexuals were classified as a serious threat to national security. In the early 1950s, a Senate subcommittee recommended the purging of all government-employed “sex perverts” because of their emotional instability, vulnerability to blackmailers, and “corrosive influence” on other employees. In 1953, Congress enacted a ban that would remain on the books until 1990 which prevented gay and lesbian foreigners from entering the country. The next year, President Eisenhower issued an executive order prohibiting the employment of homosexuals by the federal government. Consequently, thousands lost their jobs and were dismissed from the military, while others were put under surveillance by the postal system and the FBI.“-From The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV by Stephen Tropiano -- source link

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