1967 CBS Reports: The Homosexuals

I graduated from high school in 1970 in at the time conservative Central New York. In addition to the area's general conservatism and my Roman Catholic indoctrination, being gay was not something that was even capable of being considered by those of us now finding ourselves coming out in mid to later life (remember, being gay was classified as a mental illness until 1973). Reinforcing such self-denial of the truth was the general anti-gay rhetoric one saw in the media - assuming gays were depicted at al. The Advocate and other blogs are reporting on a 1967 CBS Reports special on "The Homosexuals" which is not only homophobic but sounds as if it was written by James Dobson at Focus on the Family. Indeed, one of the "experts" CBS consulted was the now discredited Charles Socarides who was affiliated with NARTH. The Advocate article that looks at the homophobic depiction of gays citizens - a depiction that the Christianists still endeavor to paint us with. The younger generation needs to watch this video to get a sense of what so many of us older gays were faced with and why so many of us tried to conform to societal expectations - assuming we could even admit to ourselves that we were indeed gay. Here are some highlights:
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The Homosexuals first aired on Tuesday, March 7, 1967, at 10 p.m. I was 2 years old then, so I didn’t catch it. In fact, it would be another 10 years or so before I ever even knew there was such a thing as a homosexual. My dad talked about “fruits” from time to time, but it never made much sense; I assumed that it had something to do with ladylike men who wanted to kiss my father against his will. Then they ate pineapple. Something like that. It was the most exotic fruit I could think of in first grade.

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I remember being shocked that network television — at a time when there were only three major networks — could have aired something so creepy and gross all the way back in 1967. Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes (who I’m sure thinks it’s all pretty embarrassing now) hosted the special, all about the “problem” of homosexuality, and over 45 minutes he detailed how it was growing and spreading like a cancer across the country.

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Some quotes, some from Wallace, some from clergy and other “experts” on the subject:

“They frequent their own bars ... where they can act out…”
“The average homosexual isn’t capable of love.”
“Homosexuality is, in fact, a mental illness.”
“The church has a great deal of sympathy for those who are handicapped in this way.”
[Being a homosexual] automatically rules out that [the man in question] will remain happy.”
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The men (no mention of lesbians is ever made) who aren’t on camera as representatives of fledgling gay rights groups at the time, like the Mattachine Society, are interviewed in shadow or behind plants, and say things like, “I know I’m sick inside ... immature.” And then comes the segment on a 1955 homosexual witch hunt in Boise, Idaho, one that apparently turned the whole town upside down with fear and paranoia, with a close-up of an op-ed piece in the Boise newspaper titled “Crush the Monster.”
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It’s a piece of historic television that deserves to be seen, especially if you’re too young to remember how quickly the world has changed in 43 short years, changed to the point where Brian Posehn and Steve Agee’s costar Sarah Silverman can go on The View, like she did last week, and respond to questions about her recent breakup and thoughts on marriage with this comment:“If you’re for equal rights, why would you get married right now? It’s like joining a country club that doesn’t allow blacks or Jews. There’s no difference.”