The Question of Time: What Was Life Like in 1963?

[Ellemeno]

Btw, this thread has been dormant for a long time - once you get beyond the "where where you when Kennedy died" posts, there are some facinatin reads here!

I was especially touched by the first post by BBMGrandma.  And, unlike you, those Kennedy posts are meaningful for me. 

In 1963 I was 3 1/2 to 4 1/2.  I spent the 60s in New York City, in Manhattan.  Like Phillip said, I didn't get it that Paul Lynde or Truman Capote (or Rock Hudson) were gay.  I didn't even get that one of my best male friends in high school was gay, even though he was pretty stereotypically willowy, gentle, smart, soft. 

I understood my own crushes and sexual urges toward a few other girls better, but that was because of the women's rights movement, which did a lot of good education for me about lesbians.  It helped me understand kind of where I was on the spectrum, but that was more in the 70s.  Men didn't have a gender rights movement yet then.

The early 60s in New York could still be pretty formal.  I remember in my very early childhood my mother still wore white gloves sometimes, and girdles, and never pants, which were called slacks.  It would have been vulgar to call them pants.  And then of course things changed rapidly, and it was all Judy Carne and Peter Max.  Somehow I think all that wasn't Ennis and Jack's experience. 

[Sheriff Roland]

I was especially touched by the first post by BBMGrandma.  And, unlike you, those Kennedy posts are meaningful for me. 

I only meant that those "Where were you when Kennedy died" posts were not germaine ta the question at hand. Felt that this thread was about the status, or degree of acceptance a gays in those revolutionary days.

I'm a little older'n you and remember when my teacher told me 'bout it, and it might a been an interestin whole other thread, but when I started readin this thread, I was hopin fer first hand experiences a the gay experience, and those posts are distractin reads in that context - already heard 'nough a the Kennedy comments, while the other kind are harder ta find.

BTW, spent the better part of an hour yesterday lookin fer the book & the photocopies of the Life magazine on Homos, but still haven't found em. Really don't know where ta look anymore. But when I find 'em, I'm sure they'll be able ta provide some mighty fine quotes for this thread.

[injest]

so what was school like for you, Roland? When and how did you deal with your sexuality then?

you were in your teens (early) then weren't you? how much were you aware of other gay people? Where did you grow up

you have shared some with me, but I think you would be doing good to offer some here for others to hear.

[Sheriff Roland]

so what was school like for you, Roland? When and how did you deal with your sexuality then?

you were in your teens (early) then weren't you? how much were you aware of other gay people? Where did you grow up

you have shared some with me, but I think you would be doing good to offer some here for others to hear.

Yer openin a can a worms there, that I don't have time ta spread out (cause I'm short a time this time a the day)

But you made me think a my grade school years. Spent a lot a time with my two same-age cousins ( both female born with a month a each other). Could skip rope, couldn't catch a ball, played in the girls school yard mor'n the boy's, coudn't skate (yea, a canadian boy who can't skate!) or fight!

Spent most a my elementary school years (ta grade 8 ) bein known as "fifi" - implyin "little girl" - was rough - and that was before puberty

Told ya it was quite a can a worms - I'm not yet 14 in this post yet!, but I gotta go!

[injest]

Yer openin a can a worms there, that I don't have time ta spread out (cause I'm short a time this time a the day)

But you made me think a my grade school years. Spent a lot a time with my two same-age cousins ( both female born with a month a each other). Could skip rope, couldn't catch a ball, played in the girls school yard mor'n the boy's, coudn't skate (yea, a canadian boy who can't skate!) or fight!

Spent most a my elementary school years (ta grade 8 ) bein known as "fifi" - implyin "little girl" - was rough - and that was before puberty

Told ya it was quite a can a worms - I'm not yet 14 in this post yet!, but I gotta go!

you don't have to share more than you want to, Roland.

But it speaks a lot to how we treat people doesn't it. I dont remember it being any different when I was growing up a decade later. Boys have a really hard time. SO much pressure.

Speaks to the early years of Ennis and Jack. The need to try to fit in. To be tough enough that people DIDN'T tease or question them

Edit note: sorry Jess - hadta edit the emoticon outa yer quote - the Sheriff

[Katie77]

I was 12 in 1963 and in the grip of Beatlemania....loved those four mop tops from Liverpool England, and read every word published about them.

Interestingly though, never once read anything about the fact that their manager Brian Epstein was gay. Was viewing a biography on the Beatles only yesterday, and a lot was said about Epstein, and the fact that he had a huge crush on John Lennon, and there were questions about whether him and John ever "did it".

Amazing how, even though there was so much publicity on the Beatles, all the gay stuff never got mentioned back then.

[Scott6373]

Life was great for me...three squares a day, slept as much as I wanted to, went to the bathroom whenever I wanted...could throw up on anyone without getting hit...course I was 2.

[Kelda]

posting so I can find later.

I cannot add as I was born in 1981 but am interested in reading this thread!

[Sheriff Roland]

Udate:

Bryan has em, both the book that lead me to the article, and the photocopy of the Life magazine special issue on Homosexuals in America dated 1965. But I haven't seen Bryan in over a week!

Patience ... I'm sure there'll be nuggets worth quoting from those articles.

[HerrKaiser]

Amazing how, even though there was so much publicity on the Beatles, all the gay stuff never got mentioned back then.

Not only was the "gay stuff" never mentioned back then, neither was the "straight stuff" in terms of all their sexual conquests, the groupies, the drugs, the all night sex orgies with scores of women. All these things occured. to a somewhate lesser extent, the same was true, apparently, with President Kennedy. But, nothing of substance was ever publicized.

There were no National Enquirer's back then and the mainstream media simply did not delve into those parts of celebrity life or lives of the average people. Such human behavior was considered by the conventional wisdom folks to be on the 'dark side' of activity and was left pretty much untouched. That was an era of Father Knows Best, Donna Reed, Andy Griffith, and My Three Sons. Gay subjects were not "outed" but everything else was pretty much off limits as well.