The main focus of my project is homosexuality during the 1920s and 1930s.

While I was looking through the New York Times database I quickly stumbled upon several articles that mentioned police violence against homosexual men during the prohibition period. The three articles I have chosen for this project mention the police brutality against homosexual men, but also hint at an anti gay sentiment within American society. While the first two sources focus on police brutality, the last one talks about prejudice against homosexuals, and tries to reaffirm the reader that homosexuality is normal. To help interpret my sources I have set the timeline to start with the obscenity laws, which came into effect in 1873. The aim of these laws was to limit the sale and distribution of obscene materials, which mainly involved pornography.1 In 1922, Sigmund Freud published Some Neurotic Mechanisms in Jealousy, Paranoia and Homosexuality, which directly referenced homosexuality, and mentioned that it was unchangeable and incurable.2 The most important factor of this essay is that it helped to reveal homosexuality to a wider audience, and also made some of the negative ideas of it disappear, at least for a short while.3 Meanwhile, the Well of Loneliness was published in 1928, and was a highly praised novel, but was soon seen as a controversial and obscene book.4 It was mainly seen as obscene because it offended public decency, since it featured a lesbian love story and it also spoke of homosexuality very openly.

"Pansy Craze", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansy_Craze ( accessed December 05 2013) 2 "Sigmund Freud's Views on Homosexuality", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud's_views_on_homosexuality (accessed December 05 2013) 3 "Sigmund Freud's Views on Homosexuality", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud's_views_on_homosexuality (accessed December 05 2013)
4

"The Well of Loneliness", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_of_loneliness#Publication_and_contemporary_response (accessed December 05 2013)

In 1930, the lives of homosexuals in the United States became somewhat better, since between 1930 and 1933 there was a period called the Pansy Craze. The Pansy Craze was a period in which homosexuality was openly accepted, and was generally tolerated.5 Several gay bars and clubs had a huge surge in popularity, which led them to become a hang out spots for homosexuals.6 The motion picture production codes were also established in 1930, which severely limited the presence of homosexuals in Hollywood.7 The codes sought to exclude anything that could be offensive to the public from films. By excluding offensive material from the big screens, film producers often took the opportunity to also ban homosexual whenever they could.8 At the same time, homosexual actors that had previously been out of the closet were given two choices, either have a lavender marriage or retire from acting completely. 9 A lavender marriage meant that the homosexual actor had to marry a woman, and act heterosexual while in public.10 The first two sources I chose both deal with the prohibition period, and both give examples of police brutality against homosexuals. Police brutality was rampant during the prohibition period and was usually carried out under false pretenses when it came to homosexuals. Essentially, the police would arrive at a known gay bar, beat some of the patrons up, arrest a few more, and no one would question it. In the first article, Twenty-two seized in

"Pansy Craze", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansy_craze (accessed December 05 2013) 6 "Pansy Craze", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansy_craze (accessed December 05 2013) 7 "Motion Picture Production Code", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code (accessed December 05 2013) 8 "Lavender Marriage", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_marriage (accessed December 06 2013) 9 "Lavender Marriage", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_marriage (accessed December 06 2013) 10 "Lavender Marriage", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_marriage (accessed December 06 2013)

three-day raids it mentions that the manager of the Triangle Club, formerly known as Club Abbey and seven of his employees were arrested and charged with possibly possessing liquor.11 The arrests mentioned in this article are a very early example of police brutality against homosexuals, and it would be raids like these that would lead to the Stonewall riots decades later. Meanwhile, the second article, "Police make 4 dry raids", mentions raids that took place in the theatrical district of Times Square.12 The raids in this piece were specifically directed at gay bars/clubs in the Times Square theatrical district, and the article also mentions that the men arrested allegedly had liquor.13 It also goes on to mention that a man was stabbed and beaten, but the police deny this claim, and say that it was all part of a regular routine.14 It is evident by reading both of these sources that police brutality against homosexuals increased during prohibition, despite the fact that the "Pansy Craze" was going on during this time. Finally, the last source, is an article titled "Prejudice Against Homosexuals", which focuses on defending homosexuals. This article takes on an aggressive tone in regards to heterosexuals, and refers to them as "normal men and women".15 It goes on to mention that even the law helps to bolster prejudice against homosexuals, and that they are treated badly simply because they are

11

TWENTY-TWO SEIZED IN THREE-DAY RAIDS. (1932, Jan 15). New York Times (1923-Current File). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fiu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/99761805?accountid=10901

12

POLICE MAKE 4 DRY RAIDS. (1931, Jan 29). New York Times (1923-Current File). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fiu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/99484646?accountid=10901 13 POLICE MAKE 4 DRY RAIDS. (1931, Jan 29). New York Times (1923-Current File). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fiu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/99484646?accountid=10901 14 POLICE MAKE 4 DRY RAIDS. (1931, Jan 29). New York Times (1923-Current File). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fiu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/99484646?accountid=10901 15 Mark Blasius , and Shane Phelan, We Are Everywhere: A Historical Sourcebook of Gay and Lesbian Politics , (New York, NY: Routledge, 1997), 229.

different.16 Ultimately, all three sources examine give a quick glimpse at what being homosexual was like during the 1920's and 1930's in the United States, and what they had to deal with.

16

Mark Blasius , and Shane Phelan, We Are Everywhere: A Historical Sourcebook of Gay and Lesbian Politics , (New York, NY: Routledge, 1997), 229.