Black and White and Gay All Over! 1967 News Doc ‘The Homosexuals’

Posted by Kevin Farrell on Sep 29, 2011 in This Day In Gay | 18 comments

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce & Gay

My first impression of CBS’ 1967 news documentary The Homosexuals was that the first homo up to bat at the interview table knocked it out of the park. Half a century before the LGBT community would arm themselves with clever zingers like Born This Way, homeboy sticks to his guns and tells anchor Mike Wallace that his homosexuality is akin to having blond hair.

Wallace, to his credit, seems to accept this explanation, even if he counters with a survey in which most gay men answered that while they would not change their own sexuality, they would not wish it upon a child or brother of their.

It’s around the 3:50 mark that the footage suddenly shows it’s age with comments about not bringing a mixed child into a world that hated and scorned him – like the X-Men? – and one particularly harrowing introduction to the next subject to be interviewed.

“This man is 27, college educated. He was unable to hold a job because of his inability to contain his homosexual inclinations. He’s been in jail three times for committing homosexual acts. If he is arrested once more he faces the possibility of life. He is now on probation and in psychotherapy.”

We admit it is rather difficult to make it through one’s typing assignments while you are giving seven handjobs at once – probation officer and psychotherapist included.

This old timey CBS news piece is well worth an hour of your time. Skip that cocktail tonight and take a bit to appreciate just how far we’ve come, and how many things haven’t changed at all.

Anonymous

This is the best 43 minutes i have spent this morning.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephanie-Donald/100001902906177 Stephanie Donald

I might add that I put the entire 60 Minutes Documentary on http://www.lgbt-today on the very first issue of the magazine which featured Jack Nichols under his psydonym as the first openly gay man to appear on national television. Obviously, unicorn booty isn’t giving credit where credit is due and they’re about a year late taking notice on this one!

http://twitter.com/Dani_Californ1a Dani California

Is this really an issue of who reported what first? We are all a community and news spread raising awareness for how much has change and how much has not it the most important detail. We should be glad that Unicorn booty is kind enough to reblog and write articles about both old and new events.

http://www.facebook.com/bfarrell055 Bill Farrell

Does anyone else think the first shrink is nuts?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Erica-Cook/100000628613592 Erica Cook

this was the common idea in those times. The notion of this being acceptable was unheard of.

http://www.facebook.com/bfarrell055 Bill Farrell

I had a great relationship with my father……
http://www.facebook.com/bfarrell055 Bill Farrell

This 19 year old should have been more careful……
http://www.facebook.com/bfarrell055 Bill Farrell

Could have been better research and more well-rounded…..

http://www.facebook.com/people/Erica-Cook/100000628613592 Erica Cook

It couldn’t have, they didn’t know any better.

Jacob Hubbell

Lol “Like the X-Men?” I rofl’d!
http://perkingthepansies.com/2011/07/30/gay-marriage-in-new-york/ Jack Scott

It’s interesting that in the same year this programme was aired homosexuality was decriminalised in the United Kingdom. Perhaps, as a Brit, I shouldn’t comment on American domestic politics, but since this time, Britain has introduced an equalities framework that provides legal protection to all its citizens regardless of sex, sexuality, disability, race, religion or
age. We are all equal under the Law and this is as it should be.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Erica-Cook/100000628613592 Erica Cook

Well I hope you’ll take this in the context intended, but the shame of it is our founders left Europe to be able to live our own lives and you managed to give that freedom mote compleetly first.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AUMGYFTVJZUW22VBOJWLK3UJ4Y Brandon B

Hard to believe that Mike Wallace, the now-quite liberal anchor from 60 Minutes, was such a homophobe.
Anonymous

This was two years after I graduated from high school and one year before I came out while in the Navy… I decided it was time to grow up, and I’m glad I did it. Scary, yes. But it was kind of like my own private NOW you’re an adult story. One of the really important things I learned is that there were plenty of people ready and willing to support me — and a few who were just waiting for me to finally come out. I went on to grad school and a teaching career, and faced down some crap — At my first job, principal calls me in and says “There’s a rumor that you’re gay.” I say nothing. He says, “Well….?” I say, “Well what?” He says, “Well, what are you going to do about it?” I say, “Why don’t you call an all-school assembly so I can address it?” He says nothing. I say, “Is that it?” He nods. There were a few worse times, but there were a LOT of much better times. So (to give a plug to my friends) It Gets Better.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AUMGYFTVJZUW22VBOJWLK3UJ4Y Brandon B

Were there ANY pro-gay or balanced documentaries about gay people in 1967 in America? There had to be AT LEAST one, right?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Erica-Cook/100000628613592 Erica Cook

This was their verson of pr-gay. they didn’t know any other way.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Robyn-Venessa-Mazy/1303224949 Robyn Venessa Mazy

27:15… good god ..because homosexuality is like pedophilia….GAH!!!!
Anonymous

Oh my goodness and we survived those times and are still sane? Thank God times have changed and the world has evolved.

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