The 1950s - Sodomy Laws and the APA
In the mid-twentieth century, every state had “sodomy laws” in place that made homosexuality a felony. This also meant that it was legal for employers, including governments and police departments, to discriminate against their employees based on their sexuality. As a result, at this point in American history, any LGBTQIA+ officers serving in the United States did so in secret or risked being fired or even criminally prosecuted. In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) designated homosexuality as a mental illness, and in 1953 it became illegal for homosexuals to serve in the federal government, including federal law enforcement agencies.
1952 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
the same year the APA designated homosexuality as a mental illness. | Public Domain
The 1960s - The Gay Liberation MOVEMENT and Stonewall
Things began to change in the 1960s as members of a burgeoning “gay liberation” movement began lobbying and protesting for more rights and protections for their community. Police enforcement of sodomy laws, including raids on gay bars and bathhouses, led to major tensions between the LGBTQIA+ community and the police across the country. In 1962 the San Francisco Police Department became the first police department in the country to create a liaison officer position to work directly with the LGBTQIA+ community. Unfortunately, tensions in San Francisco remained high, and in 1966 the Compton’s Cafeteria riot broke out after a confrontation between transgender customers and the police.
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong congratulates retired Sgt. Elliot Blackstone during a ceremony to honor his efforts as the first LGBT liaison officer in 1962. Deanne Fitzmaurice / San Francisco Chronicle / Polaris
The only known image from the Stonewall Inn riot, first published on the front page of the New York Daily News, 1969. | Photographer: Joseph Ambrosini | Public Domain
The most famous example of clashes between police and the LGBTQIA+ community occurred on June 28, 1969, when the Stonewall Inn in New York City, a gay/transgender bar, was raided by the NYPD. This led to a three-day riot as members of the LGBTQIA+ community protested against harassment, police brutality, and anti-vice laws that made such raids possible. The Stonewall Riot is considered a turning point in the history of LGBTQIA+ civil rights and is also commemorated each June during Pride Month.
The 1970s - The beginning of change
By the 1970s, many states were repealing their sodomy laws and thus decriminalizing homosexuality. In 1973 homosexuality was removed from the APA’s list of mental illnesses, and openly gay politicians like Harvey Milk in San Francisco began to work toward changing local and state laws to prevent discrimination about the LGBTQIA+ community. The Alameda County (CA) Sheriff’s Office, which serves the San Francisco area, began actively recruiting gay officers in 1974 to encourage gay victims of crime to be more comfortable reporting to the police.
New York Times article releasing information about the APA's decision to formally and medically declare that homosexuality is not a metal illness. | Public Domain
Harvey Milk sits at the Mayoral desk, 1978 | Public Domain
In 1978, New York City Mayor Ed Koch banned discrimination in police hiring practices on the basis of sexual orientation. In 1979, an officer with Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was allowed to return to work following a year-long absence to undergo gender reassignment surgery; Bonnie Davenport would go on to serve another 12 years with MPD as a female patrol officer. But despite these local changes, the major of LGBTQIA+ officers across the nation continued to serve in secret.
Bonnie Davenport, the first transgender woman hired by the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, 1979. | Public Domain
New York City Office of the Mayor Executive Order #4, 1978 | NYC.gov Historical Records | Public Domain
What was law enforcement like in the late 1970s for LGBTQIA+ officers? Greg Miraglia shares some insights into his early career.
