Book SummaryThe Deviant's War, by Eric Cervini

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Deviant's War

During the 1950s and 1960s, the gay rights movement evolved from its early advocacy groups to the emergence of Gay Liberation.

In this section, Cervini delves into the development of the movement advocating for homosexual rights, tracing its journey from the early, quieter phase of the homophile movement to a subsequent era marked by a bolder demand for liberation and equal rights.

The Mattachine Society, which surfaced in the 1950s, was instrumental in championing the civil rights of the gay community.

The Mattachine Society symbolizes the first group endeavor, which began in Los Angeles, to confront the discrimination encountered by individuals who are homosexual.

Harry Hay envisioned the Mattachine as a secretive group, shaped by Marxist ideology, dedicated to advocating for the rights of homosexuals.

Harry Hay, who supported communism in Los Angeles, believed that homosexuals, similarly to how Marx viewed workers, were unaware of their potential power and influence as an oppressed community. Inspired by the findings of the Kinsey Report, which suggested that approximately 10% of Americans could be homosexual, he viewed the Mattachine as a secretive organization aimed at uniting individuals with the same sexual orientation and helping them understand their rights and potential as a unique minority group, drawing organizational and ideological similarities to the Communist Party.

Practical Tips

• Develop a personal code of conduct that aligns with your core principles, akin to the guiding philosophies of a secretive group. This code can govern your decisions and interactions, both online and offline. Reflect on this code regularly to ensure your actions remain consistent with your values, which can enhance your integrity and decision-making process.
• Explore the roots of your beliefs by mapping them out in a diagram to see how they connect to larger ideologies. Start by writing down your core beliefs on individual sticky notes. Then, research different ideologies and place your beliefs in proximity to these ideologies on a large sheet of paper, creating a visual map. This can help you understand the ideological influences on your own perspectives.
• Start a book club focused on LGBTQ+ authors and themes to foster understanding and awareness in your social circle. By selecting books written by homosexual authors or featuring homosexual characters, you create a space for discussion and insight into the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. This can be as simple as inviting friends to read a book together and meet up to discuss it, whether in person or via a video call.
• Volunteer with a local organization that focuses on political education and advocacy to experience firsthand the organization and impact of political movements.
• Encourage local businesses to display symbols of inclusivity, such as rainbow stickers or flags, to signal a safe and welcoming space for individuals of all sexual orientations. By reaching out to business owners and explaining the significance of these symbols, you can help create a more inclusive environment in your neighborhood.
• Start a personal journal to reflect on your unique experiences and how they shape your understanding of your rights and potential. By regularly writing down your thoughts and feelings, you can gain a clearer sense of your identity and how it intersects with your rights as an individual. For example, after encountering a situation where you felt your rights were challenged, write about the experience, how you responded, and what you learned from it.
• You can analyze the structure of a local community group to better understand its dynamics by creating a comparison chart with another organization you're familiar with. Start by listing the key roles, goals, and strategies of the community group. Then, choose an organization you know well and do the same. Compare the two side by side to identify similarities and differences. This exercise can help you understand how different organizational structures can lead to similar or divergent outcomes.

The Mattachine Society, guided by new executives, started to embrace a strategy that favored traditionalism and assimilation.

The founders of the Mattachine, compelled to stay unnamed due to the threat of oppression during the McCarthy era, found their efforts unraveled by Hay's inclination towards political engagement and the increasing concerns over his association with Communist ideologies. In 1953, the Mattachine Society underwent a reorganization, adopting a new approach that emphasized assimilation into the wider society instead of maintaining the notion of a separate "homosexual minority." The organization's new leaders emphasized educational initiatives, collaborations with mental health experts, and the coordination of respected events like blood drives, grounded in the understanding that the sole difference between homosexuals and heterosexuals is the object of their sexual desire.

Context

• The Mattachine Society was one of the earliest LGBTQ+ rights organizations in the United States, founded in 1950 by Harry Hay and a group of friends in Los Angeles.
• Traditionalism in this context refers to aligning with the dominant cultural and social norms of the time. For LGBTQ+ organizations, this meant focusing on issues that would not challenge the status quo too aggressively, such as promoting the idea that LGBTQ+ individuals were not fundamentally different from heterosexuals.
• Hay's association with communism was particularly controversial during the 1950s, as communism was seen as a direct threat to American values. This association made it difficult for the Mattachine Society to gain mainstream acceptance and support, as many feared being linked to communist ideologies.
• While the reorganization helped the Mattachine Society gain legitimacy and avoid persecution, it also faced criticism from more radical activists who...

The Deviant's War Summary Frank Kameny fought tirelessly against government prejudice, while he was committed to growing the Mattachine Society and garnering support

The segment of the book is devoted to detailing the personal battles that Frank Kameny faced against prejudice and discrimination from government entities because of his sexuality.

Frank Kameny vigorously contested his wrongful dismissal by confronting the verdict issued by the Civil Service Commission regarding his employment at the Army Map Service.

Frank Kameny, who initially pursued a career in astronomy and fought against the Nazis as a member of the United States Army, saw his career come to a sudden halt when he was singled out by the government, leading to the loss of his livelihood.

Karpman utilized correspondence as a means to discreetly express his sexual identity while progressively acknowledging his homosexuality within the realm of legal discussions.

In 1957, the Army Map Service dismissed Kameny in response to a 1956 arrest in San Francisco. In an effort to prevent his dismissal, Kameny enlisted the help of Dr. Benjamin Karpman, a psychiatrist, who provided documentation to support the claim that Kameny had not participated in homosexual behavior. Karpman falsely testified to back Kameny, claiming he was heterosexual, which was a requirement for...

The Deviant's War Summary Government entities and their monitoring strategies were pivotal in impeding early efforts to advocate for the fundamental rights of the homosexual population.

In this part of the story, Cervini delves into the systematic strategies employed by authorities at various levels to undermine the work of activists fighting for homosexual rights through a coordinated effort to remove gay employees from governmental roles.

In the era known as the Lavender Scare, the federal government leveraged national security concerns as a justification to terminate the employment of those who were identified as homosexual.

The Lavender Scare, initiated by the government with the aim of removing homosexual employees from their jobs in federal agencies because of supposed threats to national security, was spearheaded by Congressional Democrats and occurred before the similar efforts of Senator Joseph McCarthy that emerged after World War II ended. During Eisenhower's administration, the number of dismissals in federal employment, which had already escalated with the loyalty program for government employees initiated under President Truman, continued to rise markedly.

Throughout the Red Scare, the common linking of homosexuality to Communism was frequently attributed to McCarthy's influence.

The campaign's momentum was considerably shaped by the...

The Deviant's War Summary The movement advocating for the rights of homosexuals was characterized by intricate interactions with other civil liberties groups, and these dynamics were further influenced by the wider effects of social activism on the progress of the homophile movement.

Cervini sheds light on how a multitude of social factors shaped the strategies and convictions of the gay rights movement and highlights the tensions between groups concentrating on particular concerns and those pushing for broader changes in society.

MSW and Kameny were inspired by the strategies of the broader Black liberation movement and the NAACP as they developed their own tactics.

Kameny drew inspiration from the civil rights struggles of African Americans, recognizing in their efforts a blueprint for minority communities to challenge and transform the prevailing social and legal standards in the United States.

Kameny set up a financial reserve similar to the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund, designed to support legal defenses through NACHO.

The Washington branch of the Mattachine Society, a component of the larger alliance advocating for the rights of homosexuals known as NACHO, organized its framework and developed tactics akin to those of the NAACP, aiming to create a fund specifically for legal defense purposes.

Context

• Established in 1940, this fund was crucial in supporting civil rights litigation, including landmark cases like Brown v. Board of...