The Bad Old Days

Hey 2 out of 3 Americans disapprove of Gay relationships. So, what has changed? 40 States have outlawed Gay marriage , 3 allow it and 2 out of 3 Americans still disapprove. So you are all out of the closet, and 2 out of 3 Americans disapprove of you.

One of the most disturbing aspects of 'The Homosexuals' was the suffocating gloom of these sad men with a "condition". I was only one when this aired, but now its so clear why twelve years later I began to understand (and feel) society's revulsion. Reducing a segment of society to perverted criminals -- to be locked up or bludgeoned with a brick -- does not a welcoming environment for little gay boys make (in my case, a geeky Black one with knobby knees and glasses). Decades later a segment of the right still believes all these things, but now they call it an "unnatural lifestyle", still, they'd surely stone us if they could. Even Gore Vidal's logic (and incredible bravery) can't blow away the memory of this stark blast from the not-too-distant past. That being said, this is something everyone should see. We can not forget how scientifically inaccurate the talking heads can be, especially when the fundie heads give the same 1967 vibe.

Simply mindblowing. I thank my gay forefathers and mothers for fighting and sometimes dying in the struggle for visibility, freedom, and equality so I could live in a world that was a little better than the one they grew up in. This is such an important piece of history, not just GLBT history, that everyone, especially my gay peers, should see. As many posts in this thread have pointed out, we still have a ways to go in our society, but it's important that we know where we came from. We shouldn't take it for granted, or become complacent in the struggle. Believe me, when Prop 8 was introduced here in CA, which is now a part of our state's constitution, nobody thought it would win... One last thought that struck me about this was the fact that today, in the 21st century, many in other countries like Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, and many more, are still in some form, stuck in this proverbial twilight zone.

Wow. So I finally saw it! Back in the seventh grade in a nondescript southern California town, one day the school was abuzz about a TV show on the night before about queers. I had missed it. Nobody used the word homosexual when talking about the program, but I remember being so curious about it and even disappointed as I thought it would have had sexy footage of naked men a la Steve Reeves or Yul Brynner. So all it was was a few know-it-alls expounding their theories about something they knew little about (except Gore Vidal, bless his soul). While it is true that the increased narcissism and promiscuity (or at least its becoming acceptable) as described in 1967 should have been a cause for concern, the same times brought about greater awareness of human dignity for all sexes, races, and any other human condition in which there is variation (which is just about everything). Watching this, although somewhat boring, made me realize how concerned my parents must have been.

Thanks for that tidbit. I had no idea. It's awesome to think that even in those days we had gay people who stood up for themselves like that!!!

Doesn't seem like much has changed in terms of social attitudes from the video :/

I remember being 16 years old – struggling painfully with my evolving feelings of being different – and one night lying in bed in 1967 I watched “The Homosexuals.” I was absolutely terrified and recall thinking – “that’s what I am and that’s what my life will be.” Five months later, I entered a catholic seminary and stayed for the next ten years. My story is that by millions of gays and lesbians. And here we are 40 years later where we see state after state pass hateful referenda against us, a spineless president who won’t delivery on basic promises he made to us, and just last we witness republicans on a senate committee barely able to withhold their contempt that a Bush-appointed Chair of the Joint Chiefs would dare recommend the repeal of DADT on moral grounds. I’m exhausted. I am tried of the constant battle, the battle for basic equality, the pitting of us again every other minority and as the inferior one. I’m glad that I won’t be around another 20 years.

Your kidding, right? You broadcast a half hour of news a week, the news was mostly cut and paste jobs from participating affiliates, more time was given to reality show contests, and, you ultimately allowed the owners of Logo to cancel the news in favor of gay lego action figures.

Yes this was a different time. But as the founder of CBS News on Logo, I think this article should have mentioned the fine work CBS News did covering the LGBT community for MTV's Logo channel. Over the course of 4 years, CBS News devoted a huge amount of resources to help make CBS News on Logo a success. CBS was under no obligation to do this, and we did an awesome job covering gay and lesbian news on a very limited digital cable channel budget. In fact CBS just about broke even. But there was still a huge profit in the fact our employees were proud to do something really new and different. And we always got it right. Too bad the people at Logo didn't want it to continue. But hey, you got a second season of drag racing.

That ending is so like the Twilight Zone. I'm a product of the 90's and it's good to know my history and how in people's minds we were worse then niggers*. So what is current theory on us? Is it that male queers don't get their whole body masculated in the the mother? This might explain the finger length stuff. *word used for effect