How Florida legally terrorized gay students

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  • Опубликовано: 3 ноя 2019
  • The hidden history of a Florida witch hunt.
    Help our reporting on hidden histories. Submit a story idea here: bit.ly/2RhjxMy
    Starting in the 1950s, a Florida state committee spent years stalking, intimidating, and outing hundreds of LGBTQ people. And they got away with it. Amid a national witch hunt for communists and an ascendant civil rights movement, a group of Florida politicians with a mission to preserve racial segregation in the state created a powerful group called the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee.
    Commonly called the "Johns Committee" for the influential state senator Charley Johns who spearheaded it, the Committee went after civil rights activists by arguing they were backed by communists. But when those investigations failed, they turned to a new group to target: LGBTQ people. Today, over 50 years later, some Florida legislators are calling for the state to finally come to terms with this part of its history.
    Note: The headline on this piece has been updated.
    Previous headline: When Florida had a committee to terrorize gay people
    In the Vox series Missing Chapter, Vox Senior Producer Ranjani Chakraborty revisits underreported and often overlooked moments from the past to give context to the present. Join her as she covers the histories that are often left out of our textbooks. Our first season tackles stories of racial injustice, political conflicts, even the hidden history of US medical experimentation.
    Have an idea for a story that Ranjani should investigate for Missing Chapter? Send it to her via this form! bit.ly/2RhjxMy
    Sign up for the Missing Chapter newsletter to stay up to date with the series: vox.com/missing-chapter
    Explore the full Missing Chapter playlist, including episodes, a creator Q&A, and more! • Missing Chapter - Vox
    To learn more, check out some of our sources below:
    Our DocumentCloud folder with the Florida state archives we used in the piece: www.documentcloud.org/search/...
    Judith Poucher’s book on the history of the Johns Committee, “State of Defiance:
    Challenging the Johns Committee's Assault on Civil Liberties” - upf.com/book.asp?id=POUCH003
    Stacy Braukman’s book on the history of the Johns Committee, “Communists and Perverts under the Palms” - upf.com/book.asp?id=BRAUK001
    Karen L. Graves’ book on the Johns Committee’s purges of K-12 teachers, “And They Were Wonderful Teachers” - www.press.uillinois.edu/books...
    Watch the documentary, “The Committee,” on the history of the Johns Committee: www.pbs.org/show/committee/
    Check out the documentary “Behind Closed Doors,” on the history of the committee: www.behindcloseddoorsfilm.com/...
    Read about the push for a state apology by Florida State Rep. Evan Jenne and State Sen. Lauren Book: www.tallahassee.com/story/new...
    Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com.
    Watch our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE
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    Or Twitter: goo.gl/XFrZ5H

Комментарии • 3,2 тыс.

  • @OrbitalBliss
    @OrbitalBliss 4 года назад +13074

    "It was a low degree of terror."
    This man could barely choke out those words a half century later...
    Low degree? I don't think so.

    • @rahuldhargalkar
      @rahuldhargalkar 4 года назад +205

      😢 I can't even begin to imagine

    • @graykeenenight.4571
      @graykeenenight.4571 4 года назад +595

      i thought he meant "low" as a signifier of how "low" the actions were morally. like, it was an immoral degree of terror.

    • @derpderpson8803
      @derpderpson8803 4 года назад +265

      Imagine if everytime you meet someone you have to wonder if your being set up...very lonely

    • @cyrene7784
      @cyrene7784 4 года назад +51

      I imagine that was what life was like for blacks in the southern states back then.

    • @WhompingWalrus
      @WhompingWalrus 4 года назад +67

      @@cyrene7784 "Hey roommate you aren't black, are you?"

  • @SaltySparrow
    @SaltySparrow 4 года назад +7212

    Could you imagine having to question if every single person you engage with is a plant by some organization?

    • @jasonm7973
      @jasonm7973 4 года назад +23

      Yes.

    • @chibi013
      @chibi013 4 года назад +156

      People STILL have to question whether people in their lives are plants from the government. Try googling "UK police activists scandal" sometime. It's horrifying.

    • @knecht6974
      @knecht6974 4 года назад +165

      I live in germany. The stasi had 200.000 "inofficial coworkers" as they called them (in a country with 16 million people). Anyone could be working for them. Your teachers, bosses and anyone higher up the ladder HAD to cooperate with them. If your family or your friends had any refigees to west germany, you were under investigation too. They hid microphones in your home and drilled camera holes in hotel rooms. If you were cought planing an escape or talking bad about the goverment, they would blackmail you into becoming a spy too otherwise years of prision including sensory deprivation torture. This was exactly 30 years ago.

    • @zain4019
      @zain4019 4 года назад +1

      Marius Banik
      Wow:(

    • @artcopleston5439
      @artcopleston5439 4 года назад +95

      Danekarl, you hit the point precisely. I'm the guy in the video. We never knew when we would run into one of the Johns Committee goons, and we were afraid to talk to anyone about it because we never knew who might be an undercover cop working for Johns. My roommate was a perfect example:.

  • @gerardparker4220
    @gerardparker4220 4 года назад +2300

    And this is only 1 person’s story.

    • @Snow-xt3rn
      @Snow-xt3rn 4 года назад +65

      One out of many. 🙄

    • @therealog6831
      @therealog6831 4 года назад +53

      ned i think that's the point they're trying to make, not this is only one story so it doesn't matter

    • @farida.
      @farida. 4 года назад +5

      Omy

    • @RomanZolanski123
      @RomanZolanski123 3 года назад +37

      If others don’t understand, I think OP is trying to say there is so much pain in this story and it’s only one person, imagine how much more pain stems from homophobia.

    • @Ratatatdat
      @Ratatatdat 2 месяца назад

      So do you have information on others?

  • @derpderpson8803
    @derpderpson8803 4 года назад +4563

    That poor man never trusted another person and I feel so bad for him. I tear up every time he does. You can still see how hard he thinks before he speaks.

  • @oterenceo
    @oterenceo 4 года назад +3693

    "They weren't very bright people but they have tremendous power over others, over us." Sound familiar?

    • @maxiapalucci2511
      @maxiapalucci2511 4 года назад +8

      oterenceo no?

    • @rahuldhargalkar
      @rahuldhargalkar 4 года назад +177

      Of course. Rings so many bells here in India given the current political state

    • @grmpEqweer
      @grmpEqweer 4 года назад +87

      @@rahuldhargalkar
      Sympathies extended.

    • @cam0987
      @cam0987 4 года назад +117

      Trump

    • @MrV1604
      @MrV1604 4 года назад +21

      @djnennwowwk everything is political

  • @CanuckMonkey13
    @CanuckMonkey13 4 года назад +11525

    I just want to offer a heartfelt thanks to the gentleman who was interviewed for this video. Sir, your courage and willingness to share about what was obviously a terrible time in your life (one that apparently affects you to this day) is invaluable to those of us who might otherwise have trouble connecting with that time and those events.

    • @proto-nm9hr
      @proto-nm9hr 4 года назад +75

      How stunning so brave im stunned by how brave it is

    • @jamesdaugherty2339
      @jamesdaugherty2339 4 года назад +97

      This man gives me hope, and makes me want to be proud of who I am in his honor!

    • @beef-jerky
      @beef-jerky 4 года назад +4

      He better be pushing that, after all it is his party that did this, and are still doing it in ways most people won't think of it as that

    • @HelgaCavoli
      @HelgaCavoli 4 года назад +45

      I felt so much like giving him a big long hug.
      I'm so sorry, sir, for what you went through.

    • @artcopleston5439
      @artcopleston5439 4 года назад +98

      Thank you,@@jamesdaugherty2339. I'm the guy in the video.

  • @els1f
    @els1f 4 года назад +3058

    "These interrogators, the investigators, they weren't very bright people, but they had tremendous power over others. Over us." Some things absolutely never change

    • @arthas640
      @arthas640 4 года назад +31

      alot of government positions in any government are promoted based on either party loyalty or personal loyalty to someone at the top, _not_ on any kind of merit. This is how you wind up with alot of political attack dogs, dim witted administrators, and blind supporters in the government. It's also how they help cultivate an entrenched bureaucracy and how you help to gain dominance of a single party in a given location.
      It gets kind of weird too: my local city government is hardline left wing and they often require college degrees (or internships with the government) for even menial jobs, and they almost only recruit from a select group of colleges, mainly the local liberal arts school. I had a friend who applied for a janitorial job at city hall and they denied him for not having a college degree saying it "wasn't required, but it would be preferred" and they said he should go to that same liberal arts school. Almost every job also requires you to join their employee union, which surprise, is run solely by the ruling party. They essentially only want to hire people that have the same ideology as them to guarantee party loyalty. The same goes for promotions: you almost only see hardline left wing people getting promoted or getting the best jobs. My area is roughly 60/40 left wing/right wing when it comes to civilians but over 90% of all government employees and politicians are left wing because this sort of favoritism has gone on for decades now and they're too entrenched to remove.
      As my example I'm using a left wing example, but you see the same thing happening on the right side of the political spectrum as well, in most countries.

    • @fabienherry6690
      @fabienherry6690 4 года назад +5

      ​@@arthas640 Man glad to see somebody using his brain and reading the situation more than "bad straight christian" "booh america" ect

    • @z1pline487
      @z1pline487 3 года назад +7

      *trump sweating in a corner*

    • @yeetyeet2027
      @yeetyeet2027 2 года назад +3

      Such a tragedy, they just ruined his social life

    • @newhorizonsforfifty2833
      @newhorizonsforfifty2833 Год назад +4

      Kinda like what we're seeing today, isn't it?

  • @singmusic123
    @singmusic123 4 года назад +4432

    now I understand why lgbtq parades exist. To honor these victims and bring light to these issues.

    • @drvissierl1404
      @drvissierl1404 3 года назад +294

      And because there is still so much homophobia.

    • @blitszina2570
      @blitszina2570 3 года назад +122

      You my friend, is someone who I respect a lot because you're willing to understand
      Thanks for that

    • @hanchenhoste5725
      @hanchenhoste5725 3 года назад +7

      I don't see any indicators in prides of this topic, considering the limited video footage I have seen from Western countries.

    • @Grand_Works
      @Grand_Works 3 года назад +31

      @@hanchenhoste5725 If I understand your statement correctly, that may more be in part because of what is available to your country. Though, and depending on which country you come from, RUclips will have a wealth of footage available. It's still a pretty recent development in media, but there is an almost limitless amount of media associated with LGBTQ pride and examples of it. A surprising amount considering how short a timespan it's been considered socially acceptable to broach the topic at all.

    • @sage5296
      @sage5296 3 года назад +39

      It's an issue alike to racial equality and women's rights, not all of them have the same backstory or the same magnitude, but generally speaking it's about a group standing up for themselves, and moving forwards from the injustices and inequalities of times past.

  • @joannot6706
    @joannot6706 4 года назад +13737

    This for all people who are like: "It was great back then"

    • @fonzi981
      @fonzi981 4 года назад +576

      Joannot i think most the people saying that would be homophobic themselves

    • @randomdude9135
      @randomdude9135 4 года назад +382

      Ya mean Trump voters?

    • @connorp3030
      @connorp3030 4 года назад +63

      Joannot do you like deliberately projecting demonising beliefs onto people? Why do you do it? You do know that they just mean it was nice when housing market and job opportunities and job progression was better don't you?

    • @connorp3030
      @connorp3030 4 года назад +22

      Joannot do you like deliberately projecting demonising beliefs onto people? Why do you do it? You do know that they just mean it was nice when housing market and job opportunities and job progression was better don't you?

    • @emmasimon4005
      @emmasimon4005 4 года назад +342

      @@connorp3030 Better for who?

  • @gabes2202
    @gabes2202 4 года назад +3342

    I want to give that man a hug after what he went through

    • @severusfloki5778
      @severusfloki5778 4 года назад +17

      Careful there 👀

    • @roseluman2890
      @roseluman2890 4 года назад +14

      I just feel so bad

    • @rahuldhargalkar
      @rahuldhargalkar 4 года назад +19

      I'd hug him.

    • @user-oc2ub1cy8v
      @user-oc2ub1cy8v 4 года назад +2

      Tristan_ melfi13 like what a tight hug?

    • @joanam3070
      @joanam3070 3 года назад +11

      Poor guy, I hope he could have a bit of freedom in the last years. Discrimination has to end. It only causes suffering and it is against societies progressing.

  • @ThatLadyDray
    @ThatLadyDray 4 года назад +653

    That poor man is still in pain all these years later. I hope y'all offered to set him up with a trauma counselor if he didn't have one already.

    • @madisongreen8913
      @madisongreen8913 3 года назад +13

      It is almost too late, they need to debrief him, it is truly disgusting what happened to this poor man

  • @ryanphillips5072
    @ryanphillips5072 4 года назад +3934

    Boomer: it was so much better when I was younger

    • @arthas640
      @arthas640 4 года назад +237

      well yeah, most "boomers" are straight white people, and they're either former hippies who became middle/upper class or they were people who were always middle/upper class

    • @nab.7250
      @nab.7250 4 года назад +75

      Arthas Menethil how are boomers mostly white? Boomer is a generation not an ideology.

    • @jasmim9194
      @jasmim9194 4 года назад +93

      @@nab.7250 boomer is a state of mind, you can be a boomer even if your 20

    • @kaisersingh5827
      @kaisersingh5827 4 года назад +4

      Ry Phi ok zoomer

    • @jasmim9194
      @jasmim9194 4 года назад +6

      @Mr. Turnenkof oh i see the type of person u are

  • @randomdude9135
    @randomdude9135 4 года назад +4792

    Why isn't this taught in school?

    • @khanhnguyennam6007
      @khanhnguyennam6007 4 года назад +58

      Random Dude Because it will be boring

    • @beestevens2644
      @beestevens2644 4 года назад +857

      Homophobia my guy

    • @khanhnguyennam6007
      @khanhnguyennam6007 4 года назад +20

      Isabelle Whitley 🤦‍♀️

    • @greenspittgames7374
      @greenspittgames7374 4 года назад +1053

      Because America doesn’t like acknowledging is filthy past

    • @beestevens2644
      @beestevens2644 4 года назад +53

      v Pooperz aight, If I’m wrong explain your ‘galaxy brain’ hot take

  • @user-sn6jv5dv9s
    @user-sn6jv5dv9s 4 года назад +5676

    And people say that we became too sensitive and the past was better. Human society disgusts me. Homophobes are lunatics.

    • @Trund27
      @Trund27 4 года назад +23

      Martín Mejía This.

    • @bobbaeba
      @bobbaeba 4 года назад +355

      Robert Not all religious people are homophobic and not all homophobes are religious, but all homophobes bad people 🤔🤔🤔

    • @edmundprice5276
      @edmundprice5276 4 года назад +202

      @@bobbaeba but religion is the seed, prejudice and discrimination is the plant

    • @eltiochusma
      @eltiochusma 4 года назад +260

      @@Robert-dh1yj It would be great if these "views" stopped where other peoples' rights begin, but TIME AND TIME again religious people are unable to keep their views to themselves.

    • @Tenatic-X
      @Tenatic-X 4 года назад +187

      It is true that you guys have different views of homosexuality. But it's when you guys start actively harassing or forcefully shove your own opinions of your disgust with homosexuality, is when issues start to arise.

  • @MrNeilTV
    @MrNeilTV 4 года назад +794

    I’m sorely undereducated about the history of my own community...this is shocking

    • @kaelanking2415
      @kaelanking2415 4 года назад +59

      me too, it's truly a shame, LGBTQ history needs to be recorded

    • @eleven-hopper
      @eleven-hopper 4 года назад +35

      Same. I knew it was bad back then but wow

    • @farateq
      @farateq 3 года назад +18

      same, this is horrible, i’m glad i was born in the generation i was, but i feel bad for the guy who went through that

  • @Ashley-rs3gz
    @Ashley-rs3gz 3 года назад +2705

    Imagine hating someone because of their sexuality that has absolutely nothing to do with you.. lol

    • @user-ge9tm5rr5f
      @user-ge9tm5rr5f 3 года назад +153

      Republicans :/

    • @blahajenjoyer208
      @blahajenjoyer208 3 года назад +197

      @@user-ge9tm5rr5f there are some republicans who are open minded. Well I've only found like 4, so.

    • @nynydabarbie
      @nynydabarbie 3 года назад +2

      Erin K lol

    • @steverogers6825
      @steverogers6825 3 года назад +21

      @@user-ge9tm5rr5f Pretty much, yeah.

    • @KristinA-xv4yk
      @KristinA-xv4yk 3 года назад +5

      What does the moral fabric of society have to do with you, bro? Just live and let live, bro.
      Nein.

  • @samueleveleigh2767
    @samueleveleigh2767 4 года назад +4493

    ah the land of the free... so long as your white, straight and capitalist

    • @joshmorton7283
      @joshmorton7283 4 года назад +39

      Yea its not like we have equal rights and liberties unlike 90% of the world. How in the world do you think LGBT people and non whites are not free please explain.

    • @pepps779
      @pepps779 4 года назад +23

      You do realize everyone in the US, above the age 18, can vote right? How is anyone's freedom being limited exactly?

    • @alyssashady
      @alyssashady 4 года назад +7

      Look at you catching on :)

    • @lgbtqiarights
      @lgbtqiarights 4 года назад +4

      Ivri i dont trust your judgment after reading a reply you left on a separate comment

    • @hindsightpov4218
      @hindsightpov4218 4 года назад +129

      W.A.S.P. = Considered the ideal American
      White
      Anglo
      Saxon
      Protestant
      * They should have added an extra “S” at the end for “Straight” to be more accurate.

  • @nakenmil
    @nakenmil 4 года назад +4600

    Christ. This is what some people want back to, apparently. Or they don't care to know.

    • @randomdude9135
      @randomdude9135 4 года назад +12

      You should listen to Dr Richard Dawkins, Hitchens, Sam Harris, Gervais, Carlin and Neil Tyson

    • @gracezb1
      @gracezb1 4 года назад +127

      they know, they don’t care

    • @crouton3455
      @crouton3455 4 года назад +12

      They know

    • @yongkykusumo5389
      @yongkykusumo5389 4 года назад +7

      We want back to these period

    • @thefloridamanofytcomments5264
      @thefloridamanofytcomments5264 4 года назад +33

      This and special water fountains / bathrooms. The rich were actually taxed fairly in the 50’s but Cletus doesn’t know that, he only knows he had reserved seats on the bus.

  • @pixelpikachu6577
    @pixelpikachu6577 4 года назад +635

    I’d like to thank this man for forcing himself to tell such a horrific time... he really is a brave soul. More people need to know about this.

  • @dabdabthesecond5962
    @dabdabthesecond5962 4 года назад +2451

    I’m going to forward this to everyone who wants a straight pride

    • @liltree8382
      @liltree8382 4 года назад +20

      Dabdab The second Straight Pride WorldWide🙌

    • @kaisersingh5827
      @kaisersingh5827 4 года назад +18

      Erdoğan Keleş im pretty sure lgbts have the same rights as hetros

    • @potatosaredead2233
      @potatosaredead2233 4 года назад +368

      @@kaisersingh5827 some country's can legally have you flocked or killed and some workplaces can't keep their LGBTQ workers safe from harm becuase of law

    • @brendanmccabe8373
      @brendanmccabe8373 4 года назад +186

      Kulraj Singh sorry but you are wrong about that chief

    • @user-rz4rw7tk9u
      @user-rz4rw7tk9u 4 года назад +88

      Kulraj Singh absolutely not

  • @avuhhh
    @avuhhh 4 года назад +1551

    and to think a current politician has the audacity to use the term “witch hunt” for issues no where near this scale...

    • @HelgaCavoli
      @HelgaCavoli 4 года назад +4

      That we know of.

    • @lilymac7858
      @lilymac7858 4 года назад +5

      avuhhh so true

    • @Jen-tt9yx
      @Jen-tt9yx 4 года назад +4

      He's actually right, I'm not a Trump fan, but it has been a witch hunt. Can't think of any other president that has endured like this guy.

    • @genieglasslamp5028
      @genieglasslamp5028 4 года назад +50

      @@Jen-tt9yx
      How about Obama? The same people who constantly defend trump never had anything good to say about Obama.

    • @Jen-tt9yx
      @Jen-tt9yx 4 года назад +1

      @@genieglasslamp5028 , Obama has it easy because he was black therefore, didn't endure anything.

  • @starcherry6814
    @starcherry6814 4 года назад +1562

    The people who worked for the Johns Comittee deserve to be in jail

    • @gazzy2228
      @gazzy2228 4 года назад +114

      celestial rex
      Sarcasm ... right ??

    • @livindeadghoul
      @livindeadghoul 4 года назад +161

      @@celestialrex551 unlike your parents

    • @delorbb2298
      @delorbb2298 4 года назад +34

      It's been over 60 years. They are probably dead.

    • @amireinav1
      @amireinav1 4 года назад +12

      celestial rex sure, boomer

    • @californiaslastgasp6847
      @californiaslastgasp6847 4 года назад +6

      @wimmisky You're comparing the murder of millions of people for their religious beliefs to an employer investing their employees, then firing them?

  • @rickychacon12
    @rickychacon12 3 года назад +88

    It’s so weird how the US national anthem says “Land of the free” even though for hundreds of years, people of color, people who are LGBTQ, people who are women, people with mental or physical disabilities, people who practice different religions, and other minority groups have not been free to do everyday things. They have been targeted for being “different”. I don’t think that being free or equal in the US actually means free and equal.

    • @RandomInternetUser-yi5cc
      @RandomInternetUser-yi5cc 3 года назад

      @@berreyl1689 But that would imply that everyone gets equal treatment today.

    • @kooby122
      @kooby122 3 года назад +7

      @@berreyl1689 you think everyone gets equal treatment today?

    • @berreyl1689
      @berreyl1689 3 года назад +1

      @@kooby122 nvm were still stuck in the past

    • @AbuBased731
      @AbuBased731 2 года назад

      What are you going to do about destroying your country because it is based on slavery, racism and homophobia?

    • @wendy_lynn
      @wendy_lynn 8 месяцев назад +1

      Everyone’s equal but some are more equal than others 😢

  • @dispersion4333
    @dispersion4333 3 года назад +289

    The sad part is that a lot of countries are still like this

  • @MeetThaNewDealer
    @MeetThaNewDealer 4 года назад +3048

    Mike Pence and his right-wing religious zealots long for these days to return.

    • @healinggrounds19
      @healinggrounds19 4 года назад +353

      @Dragon1717 Russian bot revealed

    • @livindeadghoul
      @livindeadghoul 4 года назад +304

      @Dragon1717 ok boomer

    • @bigolbugg
      @bigolbugg 4 года назад +212

      Dragon1717 ah yes radical Islam, which has never been influential in the states, would bring back 50s era conservatism. Makes sense. It’s not like American homophobia is founded on good old judeo-christian values or anything.

    • @amireinav1
      @amireinav1 4 года назад +86

      Dragon1717 sure, boomer

    • @yeetman5526
      @yeetman5526 4 года назад +68

      Dragon1717 ok boomer

  • @shannonwold638
    @shannonwold638 4 года назад +1330

    It's so important that Vox is making these videos. I had no idea. Although I've heard the term "Lavender Scare," I didn't get it. Horrifying and yet one more example of the abuse of another marginalized group.

  • @moosesandmeese969
    @moosesandmeese969 3 года назад +101

    That has to be horrifying knowing that there is always an organization stalking you, spying on you, interrogating you, trying to incriminate you, just because of your sexuality. No person should ever have to go through this.

  • @DiegoRodriguez2
    @DiegoRodriguez2 4 года назад +77

    I pray that man eventually loses his PTSD from that committee ):

  • @henrimourant9855
    @henrimourant9855 4 года назад +733

    Are you guys going to do a video on Mississippi's secret police, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission? It operated from 1956 to 1977.

    • @BJN1253
      @BJN1253 4 года назад +55

      That's a great topic to cover. A lot of people don't know about the Sovereignty Commission. It's probably the closet thing the U.S has ever had to the KGB or the Stasi.

    • @henrimourant9855
      @henrimourant9855 4 года назад +13

      @@BJN1253 I think Louisiana also had a similar agency during the 1960's.

    • @BJN1253
      @BJN1253 4 года назад +15

      @@henrimourant9855 It wouldn't surprise me. They had some notorious bigots over there too. Like Leander Perez. Here in Mississippi we had the likes of Ross Barnett, Paul Johnson, and James Eastland.

    • @RonWolfHowl
      @RonWolfHowl 4 года назад +4

      @Vox Would love a response from you guys!

    • @ebonynicole660
      @ebonynicole660 3 года назад +5

      Ok, now I want a video!

  • @brandonallison7782
    @brandonallison7782 4 года назад +685

    "They weren't very bright people."
    That sort of statement kinda gets me.

    • @dariusd2003
      @dariusd2003 4 года назад +15

      That reminds me sadly about of government and law enforcement people with way too much power.

    • @Theonlyway1445
      @Theonlyway1445 4 года назад +9

      They are disgusting

    • @bowen4878
      @bowen4878 4 года назад

      Brandon Allison No they’re pro Biology

    • @belliotrungy9107
      @belliotrungy9107 4 года назад +33

      @@bowen4878 biology supports diversity actually theology treats people like dogs in a kennel 🤫

    • @baylorsmith555
      @baylorsmith555 4 года назад +1

      Bellio Trungy men and women are biologically meant for each other. Scientific fact.
      Theology can be wrong. Biology can’t.

  • @LiseteL
    @LiseteL 4 года назад +136

    So, they *needed* someone to target? Wow, how disgusting.

  • @motherofthesacredrealm9835
    @motherofthesacredrealm9835 3 года назад +191

    And to think that some people have the audacity to scream “Straight Pride” because they don’t feel “included” or whatever.

    • @Helperbot-2000
      @Helperbot-2000 3 года назад +3

      Why wont you allow me to be proud of being born the way im supposed to to bring our species forward?

    • @laura-yd3fv
      @laura-yd3fv 3 года назад +27

      @@Helperbot-2000 Why won’t you stop talking and stop being ignorant?

    • @Helperbot-2000
      @Helperbot-2000 3 года назад +2

      @@laura-yd3fv ignorant? stating facts istnt being ignorant, tell me what part of what i wrote was being ignorant?

    • @afunandfriendlyname8468
      @afunandfriendlyname8468 3 года назад +27

      helperbot 2000 because you don’t face persecution for it. You didn’t earn or get through or do anything the way most lgbtqia+ people have

    • @OzCroc
      @OzCroc 3 года назад +11

      @@Helperbot-2000 You don't need to be straight to reproduce

  • @S.E.C-R
    @S.E.C-R 4 года назад +664

    How terrifying this must have been... It is very brave if him to do this interview. Even today he still lives in fear and can’t talk about it without getting emotional. We’ve come so far but there is still a long way to go.

  • @justmhr7598
    @justmhr7598 4 года назад +791

    These “ christian Family Value Leaders “ have always been Monsters.

    • @bogdan4148
      @bogdan4148 4 года назад +37

      Those guys rule Poland now

    • @zain4019
      @zain4019 4 года назад +20

      Bogdan
      That’s really sad.

    • @bogdan4148
      @bogdan4148 4 года назад +18

      @@zain4019 Yeah

    • @tarikmoore849
      @tarikmoore849 4 года назад

      Maurice Hunt Democrats.

    • @meaganportervint6759
      @meaganportervint6759 4 года назад +5

      Where do you see any indication that the people on that committee were Christian?

  • @TheZampa
    @TheZampa 4 года назад +117

    Many people in the US still think "Socialist" is a insult...

    • @diabolivirtusen-tavares-ea4645
      @diabolivirtusen-tavares-ea4645 4 года назад +11

      it is

    • @TheZampa
      @TheZampa 4 года назад +32

      @@diabolivirtusen-tavares-ea4645 it shouldnt be

    • @dagaki3793
      @dagaki3793 4 года назад +3

      @@TheZampa why

    • @cammiehalliday757
      @cammiehalliday757 4 года назад +3

      @@dagaki3793 because what's wrong with socialism

    • @1h3art_mys3lf-
      @1h3art_mys3lf- 4 года назад +33

      Whenever people say socialism is bad they always point towards Venezuela or Cuba never too Finland Iceland Canada or other successful states with socialist policies same goes for the opposite end of the spectrum.

  • @soshowme9405
    @soshowme9405 4 года назад +56

    as a bisexual, my heart breaks for this man. no one should’ve ever gone through this. but i’m also terrified for my future as my us exchange program starts jan 2020.....

    • @jessy1982
      @jessy1982 Год назад +3

      Hey. How did the exchange program go? Id imagine the biggest issue was covid, right?

    • @The_slaya_of_nutcases
      @The_slaya_of_nutcases 3 месяца назад

      Hey am a bisexual too! It's so cool to meet a other bisexual

    • @CursedCommentaries
      @CursedCommentaries 2 месяца назад +1

      ​@@The_slaya_of_nutcaseslol they are the most common letter of the "alphebet"

  • @liamdavis2387
    @liamdavis2387 4 года назад +789

    I can't imagine hating someone just for their sexuality.

    • @BJN1253
      @BJN1253 4 года назад +75

      I know. Same goes for me. But there are truly some hateful people in this country. Many of them pretend to be followers of Christ.

    • @user-rz4rw7tk9u
      @user-rz4rw7tk9u 4 года назад +8

      American Nightmare or Muslim

    • @laurent1144
      @laurent1144 4 года назад +26

      @American Nightmare There are atheists who feel this way too.

    • @moondust2365
      @moondust2365 4 года назад +29

      @@laurent1144 Plus there are Christians and Catholics like me who feel the opposite of homophobia.

    • @vivianarickert8230
      @vivianarickert8230 4 года назад +12

      I know it is physically impossible for me to even hate someone for who they love.

  • @fabianfarbeyond558
    @fabianfarbeyond558 4 года назад +186

    This is what Some consider Great America...I hope we never have to see such bigotry and hate again. Unfortunately sometimes it seems we’re headed there, especially in the south.

    • @ButterBallTheOpossum
      @ButterBallTheOpossum 4 года назад +9

      Yet people still stay home instead of voting

    • @bowen4878
      @bowen4878 4 года назад

      Fabian Farbeyond 30 states are red. Red = Pro Sanity
      Pro Biology

    • @bowen4878
      @bowen4878 3 года назад

      @Neptune 23. Take a biology class

    • @u5654
      @u5654 3 года назад

      @@ButterBallTheOpossum this hasn't aged well

    • @laura-yd3fv
      @laura-yd3fv 3 года назад +2

      @@bowen4878 What about infertile women? Are you going to yell at them to “take a biology” class?

  • @Malkmusianful
    @Malkmusianful 4 года назад +23

    my grandfather was part of the police in Tallahassee, the state capitol, back during when all of this was happening. I think he was an officer from 1962 to 1968, based on what he's told me. I have the sinking feeling that he was involved with this in some way.

  • @joeottsoulbikes415
    @joeottsoulbikes415 4 года назад +132

    Art Copelston.....Thank you for telling us your story. Thank you for facing the terror and pain that you carry from this horror that was perpetrated on you it is important to hear these stories so that we can prevent it from happening again. I am sorry you had to live through this. Vox thank you for recording this horrible part of America's past and it's unfortunate present in some places.

    • @artcopleston5439
      @artcopleston5439 4 года назад +22

      Thanks for your kind comments, Joe. For many years, I've been embarrassed by the emotions these memories engender in me. With my partner of 30 years (until his death), we had a full and exciting life. How would my life have been different without the Johns Committee? I think I would have lived my life with greater self-satisfaction; without always feeling that I am somehow "less than others", and somehow "sub-standard". Those are the over-riding feelings I will carry with me forever.

  • @NoelRose2912
    @NoelRose2912 4 года назад +150

    I just want to give the interviewee, Art, a hug. I can't even imagine the constant terror and anxiety on top of the fear of being outted back then.

  • @hitdafolkslikyahh9100
    @hitdafolkslikyahh9100 4 года назад +269

    Can y’all post more about things you won’t find in a history book

  • @rimut230
    @rimut230 2 года назад +14

    I still wonder why ending homophobia is still a debate.

    • @user-wf3mp1xl8t
      @user-wf3mp1xl8t 2 года назад

      Creep

    • @sbirkkk
      @sbirkkk 2 года назад +14

      @@user-wf3mp1xl8t how is wanting to end homophobia creepy

  • @ReeceMarshallPersonal
    @ReeceMarshallPersonal 3 года назад +47

    Even today no wonder people are afraid to come out. I just wanna say, please don’t out people, it’s a complete violation of privacy and you are potentially putting someone in serious danger. It is disgusting

  • @adornedlean2490
    @adornedlean2490 4 года назад +188

    Florida Man...

  • @nelsonth
    @nelsonth 4 года назад +416

    *Straight pride organizers have left the chat*

    • @diabolivirtusen-tavares-ea4645
      @diabolivirtusen-tavares-ea4645 4 года назад +11

      You wish 😂

    • @bhavs398
      @bhavs398 4 года назад +54

      @@diabolivirtusen-tavares-ea4645 you should.

    • @404ever
      @404ever 4 года назад +35

      TraRob-EastSide yes, I do. they’re obnoxious

    • @Helperbot-2000
      @Helperbot-2000 3 года назад +2

      @@bhavs398 not my fault im born the way im supposed to to bring our species forward

    • @Iucifur
      @Iucifur 3 года назад +2

      @@Helperbot-2000 ???????

  • @tlouitas
    @tlouitas Год назад +18

    The beginning when he started crying and you can hear the interviewer say, “it’s okay” broke my heart. These things affect real people and it’s so horrible to see the aftermath of such horrific events

  • @kaitoric
    @kaitoric 4 года назад +85

    Though we are still not fully accepted, I'm so glad to be born into a time like this, rather than being paranoid and scared in the 1950s.

  • @amandasupak
    @amandasupak 4 года назад +64

    Poor guy who was interviewed for this. You never should have been treated that way :(

  • @nonkululekomabaso9537
    @nonkululekomabaso9537 4 года назад +48

    If only as much effort was invested into ending social ills like war, colonialism and all forms of racism. I am beyond disgusted 😣

  • @aprilm2056
    @aprilm2056 Год назад +50

    This feels incredibly prescient in today's Florida.
    As Mark Twain once said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymed."

  • @TheDru78
    @TheDru78 2 года назад +13

    When I hear conservative Fox News viewers talk about socialism, antifa, black lives matter, or LGBTQ rights, it reminds me of this era.

    • @IOwnKazakhstan
      @IOwnKazakhstan 2 года назад +7

      Fox News and Prager U are possibly the worst things to happen to news.

  • @leftyla
    @leftyla 4 года назад +356

    Wow, this is heartbreaking. And what fantastic reporting!

    • @bowen4878
      @bowen4878 4 года назад +1

      leftyla It’s sad that people aren’t sane and pro biology

    • @link3389
      @link3389 4 года назад +6

      @@bowen4878 what.

    • @myamdane6895
      @myamdane6895 4 года назад +13

      Bowen Shut up homophobe

    • @link3389
      @link3389 4 года назад +4

      @@bowen4878 what. ×2

    • @allaboutmika
      @allaboutmika 4 года назад +9

      Bowen “pro biology” wow ur so smart woAh 👏

  • @jasonarmstrong5750
    @jasonarmstrong5750 4 года назад +138

    “What? The land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy!”

    • @icomarv17
      @icomarv17 4 года назад +3

      RAGE!

    • @BvousBrainSystems
      @BvousBrainSystems 4 года назад +3

      I'm often reminded of RATM quotes, but it's so rare to actually see them.

  • @nikoratoma4734
    @nikoratoma4734 4 года назад +72

    Ahhhhh Florida the state that never stops surprising me with their bigotry.

    • @okinawatim3421
      @okinawatim3421 4 года назад +4

      Nikora Toma what did you expect from the south?

    • @robinrinsmith
      @robinrinsmith 3 года назад +1

      @@okinawatim3421 Yeah because we all know bigotry doesn’t exist outside the

    • @robinrinsmith
      @robinrinsmith 3 года назад +1

      South

  • @barbielikeshermilk
    @barbielikeshermilk 4 года назад +44

    My heart broke when teared up over telling his story. To feel that he can’t really “come out” must be heavy on his heart.

  • @amynicole_3331
    @amynicole_3331 4 года назад +66

    Sweet man❤️ I can’t even imagine the pain of it being illegal to be yourself 😞

  • @aerolchristopherinfante
    @aerolchristopherinfante 4 года назад +54

    I love thes Missing Chapter, for it gives us more dark sides of history rarely if not shown on books and taught in schools.

  • @shanubag6785
    @shanubag6785 3 года назад +11

    The word "legally terrorized" is itself terrifying

  • @nathanaelsloan5003
    @nathanaelsloan5003 3 года назад +28

    And straight white southern conservative men still say MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. If you are talking about racism, homophobia, and segregation, yes. That is exactly what you are doing.

  • @dietischlampe1327
    @dietischlampe1327 4 года назад +58

    Did this only happen in Florida? If so then why especially in that state?

    • @Ravi-xf8dw
      @Ravi-xf8dw 4 года назад +10

      Mostly conservative

    • @bowtieproductions6708
      @bowtieproductions6708 4 года назад +31

      I doubt it was just in florida, but these things are coming to light, and vox chose to focus on florida specifically, instead of going too general and losing the personal impact these events had.

  • @markofantares8922
    @markofantares8922 4 года назад +180

    Blessed and fortunate to live in a time when this is (mostly) a memory and not a fact of life.

    • @engr.enciso
      @engr.enciso 4 года назад +19

      well
      depends on what country you are in

    • @engr.enciso
      @engr.enciso 4 года назад +6

      @tre luglio yeah, ikr
      their is also such a large problem with sexism in the middle east

    • @StarvingWolff
      @StarvingWolff 4 года назад +13

      I have the hope that someday we will live in a world where everyone puts rationality before plain racism and misjudge.

    • @merrilouneigenfind104
      @merrilouneigenfind104 4 года назад

      I can't breathe. Murica

    • @nakata123
      @nakata123 4 года назад

      ignorance is bliss lol

  • @instruella
    @instruella 3 года назад +79

    It’s so sad. I’m speechless. They were forced to be in the closet. They were just. Targeted. Disturbing. And what’s worse, it can happen today. We can’t let this happen.

  • @LoreEclectic
    @LoreEclectic 4 года назад +39

    Whenever he gets choked up I get choked up too

  • @cariendewildt6614
    @cariendewildt6614 4 года назад +41

    I just wanna give that old man a hug

  • @evanmay
    @evanmay 2 года назад +13

    And now it’s happening again.

  • @kingkongchief1177
    @kingkongchief1177 2 года назад +7

    And they’re doing it again by banning the discussion of it in classrooms.

  • @TarkinGaming
    @TarkinGaming 3 года назад +13

    What the John's Committee did was just monstrous. I can't believe that people would do something like this. Terrible.

  • @aufajohan9528
    @aufajohan9528 4 года назад +42

    Vox keeping me educated and curious. Thank you.

  • @mw-fj6dd
    @mw-fj6dd 4 года назад +16

    I'm a student at UF and I can't believe I didn't know this...

    • @artcopleston5439
      @artcopleston5439 4 года назад +9

      Mega Wag, the next time you walk past Thomas H, look up to the 2nd floor bay window: That was my room. I'm the guy in the video.

    • @poelomokgotho8127
      @poelomokgotho8127 4 года назад

      Sending you love from South Africa ♥️

  • @taylortimeless
    @taylortimeless 4 года назад +24

    Sad that people treat other people this way. Disgusting.

  • @lazypops3117
    @lazypops3117 2 года назад +33

    Why are conservatives unfailingly cruel?

    • @vjhreeves
      @vjhreeves 11 месяцев назад

      Uh, I guess you missed the part where Sen Charley Johns, the creator of the committee, was a DEMOCRAT.

    • @mistyjames7280
      @mistyjames7280 10 месяцев назад

      ​@@vjhreevesthe ideologies of the parts flipped and what used to be democrat is now republican, this was around the 1980's lol

  • @memestagram4028
    @memestagram4028 3 года назад +31

    I'm a Floridian and this horrified me.

  • @thebugbear
    @thebugbear 4 года назад +21

    I can't imagine how hard it must be to have gone through trauma and be unable to connect to your community, then openly talk about your story online. This man is so brave.

  • @rileyjenkins3150
    @rileyjenkins3150 4 года назад +17

    I cannot describe how angry I am.

  • @_TriGN
    @_TriGN 3 года назад +23

    "Moral deviation" WHY CANT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THEN THEM ARE STILL HUMAN

  • @harryklieves2200
    @harryklieves2200 3 года назад +78

    Excellent reporting. I didn't know anything about this. Thank you.

  • @TrinityCourtStudios
    @TrinityCourtStudios 2 года назад +18

    I wish I could give that man a hug.
    It’s horrifying. Just absolutely horrifying how America has treated LGBTQ people for decades; no, hundreds of years.

  • @thejumboshrimp
    @thejumboshrimp 3 года назад +12

    The more I learn about my state's history the less I feel proud to call myself a Floridian.

  • @starsnbites
    @starsnbites 2 года назад +16

    2022 here, Florida is at it again. shame.

    • @CowOfTheNile
      @CowOfTheNile 2 года назад +1

      hahhahahha

    • @frozennipples9054
      @frozennipples9054 2 года назад

      I love Florida

    • @ToadTendo
      @ToadTendo Год назад +5

      @@CowOfTheNile hahaha your dad left you

    • @starsnbites
      @starsnbites Год назад +5

      @Belltown Daisy what perverts? Why would you justify any type of discrimination

  • @Voltanaut
    @Voltanaut 4 года назад +75

    You just have to laugh sometimes. It's darkly and morbidly funny how certain things were in the past. Stuff like this is so ridiculously evil. It's proper gestapo stuff.

    • @clueless_cutie
      @clueless_cutie 4 года назад +7

      People will commit the cruelest acts when they have righteous motivations.

    • @zain4019
      @zain4019 4 года назад +3

      Anna L.
      This makes me think about myself and what I think is right, and how far I would go. Not to uphold bigoted values, but to keep them at bay, so we don’t go back to the hatred that was so prevalent before.
      What’s the right balance between protecting others and your values, against misogyny, homophobia, racism, and actively doing things to stop these acts, if you see them?

  • @cheers4life100
    @cheers4life100 3 года назад +10

    i don't know why, but seeing the florida seal stamped on the back of the purple pamphlet is what really drove this home for me. i'm from florida, i still live here,i am part of the lgbt community, so it was easy to separate myself from the johns committee until i realized that we do share an identity and come from similar neighborhoods. seeing that really hit me that it could simply be my own neighbors that want to see my own life ruined for no valid reason.

  • @pridecat
    @pridecat 3 года назад +35

    as a floridian i can agree that we are one of the worst states in america in terms of activism. every day we go a step backwards. as a bi person i greatly appreciate this video because nobody ever talks about things like this

  • @piotrszymanski8739
    @piotrszymanski8739 3 года назад +10

    People are afraid of what they don't understand

  • @humberabdulah4733
    @humberabdulah4733 4 года назад +83

    the dark ages of Florida.

    • @chioptnstdr3448
      @chioptnstdr3448 4 года назад +20

      You mean ..Florida being Florida

    • @engr.enciso
      @engr.enciso 4 года назад

      @Shirley Timple 😂
      why what's up with florida ?

    • @humberabdulah4733
      @humberabdulah4733 4 года назад

      Did Florida ever enlightened ?

    • @humberabdulah4733
      @humberabdulah4733 4 года назад

      I did know about Florida that much but from this point of view I think Florida deserve to be known as accidentally created by God

    • @humberabdulah4733
      @humberabdulah4733 4 года назад

      I didn't

  • @TheLazyKey
    @TheLazyKey 4 года назад +17

    Amazing how far we've come. Happy to be born in this generation where I can expect to live a stable, happy life.

    • @user-xg8yy7yl1d
      @user-xg8yy7yl1d 3 года назад +1

      Lol stable and happy life. We'll all be slaves for low wages until were 70 years old at this point

  • @BigMastah79
    @BigMastah79 3 года назад +17

    So glad I live now, I wouldn’t make it 5 Seconds in that 😳

  • @timn5624
    @timn5624 3 года назад +17

    Thank you for a piece of LGBT history. As LGBT community we don't have much documented history. Because all the hatred through the ages.

  • @AI-hx3fx
    @AI-hx3fx 2 года назад +6

    Just sticking a hapless young man in the back of a police car is already terrifying.

  • @Cryptotone
    @Cryptotone 6 месяцев назад +8

    Florida hasn’t changed much🤷🏽

    • @MartYtraM1983
      @MartYtraM1983 5 месяцев назад

      When you consider that they later had Anita Bryant and then Ron DeSantis, not really.

  • @HippoShemp
    @HippoShemp 4 года назад

    Thank you Vox for doing a video highlighting this, and an even bigger thank you for uploading the document scans of the transcripts

  • @TehWhiteMage
    @TehWhiteMage 3 года назад +21

    Hate is disgusting, no matter whom it's directed toward. We need to acknowledge the humanity of everyone.

    • @AbuBased731
      @AbuBased731 2 года назад

      religion of humanity lol

  • @mimimarcus
    @mimimarcus 4 года назад +36

    Having to question the intent of every single person you interact with sounds so horrifying. I felt so bad for the guy. That experience still terrorizes his psyche today. :(

  • @LP-xw7ix
    @LP-xw7ix 4 года назад +260

    This is why we need to teach LGBTQ history ins schools

    • @sadiqmusa5578
      @sadiqmusa5578 4 года назад +4

      L P just gonna make things worse

    • @Tsyaman
      @Tsyaman 4 года назад +45

      sadiq musa what ignoring it is better?? Smh

    • @ThirdBrainLives
      @ThirdBrainLives 4 года назад +7

      No thanks.

    • @tonyshistoryacademy1187
      @tonyshistoryacademy1187 4 года назад +20

      Carson Redford
      Are you a homophobe or something because teaching kids LGBTQ+ History is needed.

    • @tonyshistoryacademy1187
      @tonyshistoryacademy1187 4 года назад

      Carson Redford
      It looked like you said no to the comment

  • @joao_gomes
    @joao_gomes 2 года назад +7

    So basically Americans put together two obnoxious concepts: irrational fear of communism and discrimination against the LGBTQ community... the plot of a movie really

  • @Anna-yj5jo
    @Anna-yj5jo 4 года назад +1

    Thank you for the scans!!!! Great to keep something that can be so easily 'misplaced' out of nowhere. Great reporting and thank you to all the interviewees especially Art for sharing his story.

  • @TQM
    @TQM 4 года назад +9

    Somehow, this explains the Pulse Nightclub shooting. The descendants of these absolute psychos are carrying on this madness

  • @CODTerracraft
    @CODTerracraft 4 года назад +136

    Yep that’s my country over there!

    • @jeng9927
      @jeng9927 4 года назад +11

      God this is so much truth. I wasn’t raised in a “question everything “ mentality but in my early 20’s that’s exactly what I started doing and now the more I dig into history and our culture, the more lies and bodies I find. It’s gotten to the point where whenever I hear something horrible happening part of my brain instantly says “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
      I try so hard to stay positive, to make sure I’m contributing to good vibes but it’s just so hard sometimes.

    • @lgbtqiarights
      @lgbtqiarights 4 года назад +3

      Jen G im confused as to why you left a paragraph on such a simple comment

    • @tristan_melfi1319
      @tristan_melfi1319 4 года назад +1

      @@jeng9927 ok boomer

    • @idrisali6854
      @idrisali6854 4 года назад +2

      I thought it was Iran

    • @alialidrissi4163
      @alialidrissi4163 4 года назад +1

      @@jeng9927 ok boomer

  • @Woahlookitthemoon
    @Woahlookitthemoon 4 года назад +26

    The end of this video crushed my heart. So sad that he can't connect with other lgbt members.
    We are here for you, friend!

  • @Sarah-lo5dx
    @Sarah-lo5dx 4 года назад +9

    I want to give that man a hug sooo badly and whisper to him "It's all gonna be ok"