Young, Gay and Scared - Prologue. Prologue

. . . . AUTHORS NOTE

My intent in writing this book is to expose the 1950’s treatment of homosexuals both in Australia, England and America. Why is this important?

In 1953, England’s Lord Montagu of Beaulieu with two others was arrested and tried for performing "gross offences". The trial caused a backlash of opinion that led to the setting up of the Wolfenden Committee. In its 1957 report, the committee recommended the decriminalisation of homosexual activity in private, between two consenting adults.

Thus set in train the gradual acceptance, both legal and societal, of homosexual men. The virulence directed towards gay men had grown to ridiculous heights. In the cold war atmosphere of the 1950s, witch hunts (later called the Lavender Scare) were ruining the lives of many gay men and lesbian women in the United States. Also, the parallel political atmosphere in Britain was virulently anti-homosexual. As many as 1,000 men were locked up in Britain's prisons every year amid a widespread police clampdown on homosexual offences. Undercover officers acting as "agents provocateurs" would pose as gay men soliciting in public places. The prevailing mood was one of barely concealed paranoia.

It all backfired with the Montagu trial. Sympathy for homosexuals began to escalate, gaining momentum and then culminating with the Stonewall Inn riots of June 29, 1969.

But, for many souls, the irreversible damage had been done. For many, the impact of electric shocks and chemical castration, whilst doing nothing to change one’s sexual orientation, had created self-doubt and destruction of self-worth. It would take many years for victims to recover.

Many did not.

Allan Turing (who cracked the German Enigma code in World War Two) did not, because he killed himself. The man who saved countless Allied lives in the war, was sentenced as a criminal and given the choice of either imprisonment or chemical castration. He chose the latter. Many years later he was posthumously exonerated and received a commendation. Many years later.

Gay men and women must never forget to be vigilant. In this enlightened age, Fundamental Christianity still stridently condemns Homosexuality, and when they may seem foolish, they are dangerous fools. Any form of religious fundamentalism is a threat.

. . . SOME BACKGROUND

Being gay in Australia, during the nineteen fifties, was akin to a death sentence. I just don’t mean in the physical sense because the emotional trauma inflicted was sometimes worse. The nineteen fifties laid claim to the scourge of Communism and this fear manifested itself not only politically, but also in Religion. Both the State and Churches were stridently anti-communist, and woe betides anyone who looked, smelled and talked even faintly, communist. Because being homosexual was such a stigma, we were looked on as being highly susceptible to blackmail and therefore, had to be weeded out of public and corporate life. If caught and sentenced, the penalty was 14 years imprisonment. Furthermore, Buggery or Sodomy was only applicable to Homosexuals, not Heterosexuals.

During a hearing of the U.S. Senate in 1951, certain government officials talked about an alleged connection between homosexual government employees and communism. According to a government official questioned, 91 State Department employees had been removed from their position because they were found to be untrustworthy and belonging to “the shady category.” When he was asked to clarify what exactly he meant by that term, he said, “they were homosexuals.”

Not only homosexuals suffered during the nineteen fifties, anyone who didn’t conform to the strict rules of society was suppressed. This was manna for religious institutions who used fear to induct people into the harshest application of Christianity. The advent of Rock and Roll towards the end of the era was a manifestation of the yearning to change; to escape the harshness of the fifties and for minorities to start demanding fundamental rights.

This was the atmosphere that Ryan Seaton became a teenager when he turned thirteen. In those days the Australian School System required kids to start school when they turned six and attend Primary school for six years until they were twelve. They then progressed to High School for another three years and sat for their Intermediate Certificate. This level was sufficient to begin work at sixteen. Anyone wanting to go to University had to complete two more years and sit for their Leaving Certificate. So, by the time kids turned eighteen they could either enter University or enter the workforce with slightly better qualifications than those beginning work at sixteen.

Children of low-income families only stayed in school until they passed the Intermediate Certificate because the income was needed to support the family. Whilst Public School was geographic, meaning that all the kids from the local area went to the same school, High school was anywhere parents wanted their kids to go. The richer families sent their kids to 'Posh' or Private high schools, whereas poorer families' kids went to the local High School.

Such is the background to my story.

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. . . NOW, THE STORY BEGINS

“SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!”

The expletive resounded through the silence of the bush. In fact, he luxuriated in the stillness because he could truly vent his feelings without retribution. He suddenly found himself at a crossroad in life; a decision had to be made about where his life headed. Without a doubt, this turned out to be the worst time of his young life.

Of course, there really wasn’t a decision at all, because the alternatives available were unpalatable. Looking back on these past years, it still mystified him how events had shaped his journey so far. There had been heartbreak and some funny occasions but over-all his life had been miserable, well only miserable until he met the man of his dreams; the man who undoubtedly conquered his heart. And now all that was in jeopardy.

“FUCK! SHIT! FUCK!”

He didn’t deserve to be in this position because he was a good person and hadn’t done harm to anyone; well except for his defensive scraps with bullies at school. He’d survived a morbid family life and along the way, had acquired close friends. A victim! Yes! A victim of social rejection, of legal persecution, and negative home life. It had been a long time between laughs.

If you plotted all these negatives on one side of the ledger, they were easily compensated by his sex life. Starting probably around his turning twelve years (he couldn’t remember) he’d had a succession of sex partners and had learnt that sex was something to be enjoyed without guilt. It could be said that he’d experienced too much too soon, but what the hell, it felt bloody good. He couldn’t understand why society viewed the sex act with such condemnation.

“BLOODY STUPID FUCKWITS!”

Of course, he referred to the Catholic Church as the main culprit. It seems God wasn’t satisfied to let his flock enjoy their bodies – which apparently he’d personally designed – he only smiled on sex that produced babies. Of course, it had to be conducted only in an approved manner and position. Heaven forbid! They even used a calendar to determine when to do the act.

“CRAP!”

He was digressing now and slinking away from decision time. An awful decision, that could not only fuck up his life but others as well. Y’see that’s what they don’t understand, if he had to take the most obvious path then the consequences which flowed would cause irreparable harm – to all.