While browsing the blog Two World Collision, I found the following video clip from the 1950’s.  It was apparently produced as a joint project between the school system and police department of Inglewood, CA, to warn young boys to watch out for “the homosexual.” 

Watching this thing gave me the creeps but further, an appreciation for how much worse it must have been to grow up gay in the 50’s.  It’s amazing how similar the warnings are to those of extreme anti-gay groups today.  A connection to pedophilia is not implied, it is simply stated; the only distinction made is between a “passive” and “aggressive” homosexual. 

If they had packaged it up as a warning about strangers or predators, it might even be considered progressive for it’s time.  But as is, I can’t begin to imagine the guilt and doom a gay kid during that time must have felt after watching such a thing.  Wow.

Do you see connections to present day anti-gay themes?  If you were a child during the 50’s, do you ever remember seeing something like this video in school or at church?  Anything more recent? 

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