LGBT History: "The FBI Files"

LGBT History: "The FBI Files"

 

FBI files were released on May 27 that show a systematic spying on LGBT citizens by the nation's law enforcement over three plus decades - if not more. The files dating from 1948 to 1971 mostly focus on the Mattachine Society and its members. The FBI enlisted located local enforcement agencies who sent detailed reports to be kept in the FBI's national data base. Despite the fact FBI Director J. Edgar  Hoover was a homosexual (photograph of Hoover and his lover Clyde Tolson), the FBI was determined to protect the nation from homosexuals at great cost to taxpayers and even greater cost to the lives that the FBI destroyed in the process.

You can examine some of the files by just clicking here. But here are a few excerpts - the square boxes are where the FBI has removed names, informants or other information. I have cleaned up rough spelling and short cuts on the documents:

The Los Angeles Police Department reflects that one ROBERT GEORGE (Age 41 to 44) " 5'1011 , ,150 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes, 'was arrested November 6, 1944. and charged with violation of Section 647N$ 01' the Penal Code (Vagrancy - Lewd). He was fined $100.00; sentenced.to 90 days, which was suspended,'and was placed on one year probation. The police records reflect that he was born in Arkansas and was interviewed by occupation residing at 143 North Hope 'Street .--His-booking "number was' LAPD"N o'.'1207.7..FBrNo. - --4729882.'

Agent H. Rawlins OYERTON reported on August 13, 1953, that an organization known as the Citizens Committee to Outlaw Entrapment was formed in Los Angeles in the Spring to 1953. This Committee, according to ____was affiliated with the Mattachine Foundation, Inc., and was organized to work in cooperation with the Foundation, the main purpose of the committee being the protection of and the welfare of homosexuals.

In 1956, an FBI inter-office memo talks about the homosexual magazine "One" and an article in it. The FBI instructs its agents to make contact and intimidate the author into not writing another article. It reads:

Bureau has received anonymously a November, 1965 issue of this magazine (One), issue of this magazine contains an article "How Much Do We Know About The Homosexual Lifestyle?" Articles indicates that "The Tories compose one of the three main groups of the homosexual and the article continued that they work for TIME magazine and the New Yorker. They are in the diplomatic services, they occupy key positions with the oil companies and the FBI (its true!)"

On the basis of information available,___________not identifiable in the files, you are instructed to have two mature and experienced agents contact _________in the immediate future and tell him the Bureau will not countenance such baseless charges appearing in the magazine and for him to either 'put up or shut up". Results of your contact should reach the Bureau by February 2, 1956

Later in the papers it was clear that J. Edgar "Mary" Hoover's lover, Clyde Tolson, personally followed up on the charges of homosexuals in the Bureau and reported the results of the 'visit' directly to Hoover.

There are pages and pages including copies of newsletters of the groups at the time. Please take your time and go through them and learn the history. So, God forbid, we are not condemned to repeat it.

Edge Magazine