DOCUMENTARY: Gay witch-hunt, Boise circa 1955
Jun 29th, 2009 | By Jody May-Chang | Category: Idaho, Special Events
In the fall of 1955, a gay sex scandal erupted in the unassuming, wholesome and “vice-less” town of Boise, Idaho, as teenage boys who had prostituted themselves to older men began to disclose their dalliances to authorities. Overnight, Boise’s homosexual underworld-comprised mostly of married family men-was splashed onto headlines and thrust into the spotlight. Reputations were shattered and lives ruined as the rumors and accusations flew. What followed was a classic witch-hunt, marked by intense homophobic hysteria, in which the whole town became embroiled. Get the DVD here!
PrideDEPOT.com Editor, Jody May-Chang, now blogs on "As I See It... on May-Chang.com
[...] The dark days of 1955 was clearly illustrated in the book the “The Boys of Boise” where author John G. Gerassi describes witch hunts against suspected homosexuals being perpetrated by the police, the media, and judges. [...]