Paul Cameron and the Family Research Institute want to go back to the good ol’ days of the 1950s when gays were banned for working for the government because everybody knew that even “one homosexual can pollute a Government office”:
Today the courts are talking about the ‘right’ to engage in homosexuality, the ‘right’ of homosexuals to get married to each other, the ‘right’ to openly join the military, etc. Political candidates are afraid of appearing ‘homophobic.’ But 60 years ago, even 35 years ago, the U.S. had it right. Then, engaging in same-sex sex was NOT considered a ‘right.’ Indeed, those who engaged in homosexuality were seen as highly socially disruptive, due to a lengthy, and empirically-tested, set of reasons. In 1950, Congress discussed the Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government:
Most of the authorities agree and our investigation has shown that the presence of a sex pervert in a Government agency tends to have a corrosive influence on his fellow employees. These perverts will frequently attempt to entice normal individuals to engage in perverted practices. This is particularly true in the case of young and impressionable people who might come under the influence of a pervert. Government officials have the responsibility of keeping this type of corrosive influence out of the agencies under their control. It is particularly important that the thousands of young men and women who are brought into Federal jobs not be subjected to that type of influence while in the service of the Government. One homosexual can pollute a Government office.
Notice what the investigation found concerning employees who engaged in homosexuality. Homosexuals were not disqualified from government service because they were ‘mentally ill.’ At the time, of course, those who engaged in homosexuality were often referred to psychiatrists for ‘treatment.’ Yet for society in general and the federal government in particular, the overriding exclusionary factor was the social disruption that homosexuals caused. This official investigation found that homosexuals:
- “frequently” “attempted to entice normal individuals to engage” in homosexuality. The ‘try it, you might like it’ slogan has been around a long time. Instances of male homosexuals enticing and seducing boys abounded then, as they do today.
- particularly targeted the “young and impressionable.” The homosexually-obsessed have both drive and commitment — especially when it comes to the young or younger.
Based on these facts, the report recommended the following policy:
Government officials have the responsibility of keeping this type of corrosive influence out of the agencies under their control. It is particularly important that the thousands of young men and women who are brought into Federal jobs not be subjected to that type of influence while in the service of the Government.
The report also observed that “one homosexual can pollute a Government office.” Not that ‘every homosexual’ polluted his Government office, but rather “one can.” Most anyone who has worked in a business is familiar with at least once such circumstance. What is striking here is that there is no ‘animus,’ no ‘hatred,’ and no appeal to Christianity or any religious notions — just a statement of the facts and a reasonable social policy conclusion given those facts.
