The storyteller is Jon Platania who entered gay liberation in the early 1970s when he joined the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front. He was instrumental in organizing and managing the Gay Liberation Front’s “Liberation Houses.” These houses were spread throughout tLA and were the nation's first facilities for homeless gay adults and youth. He is now a Jungian Depth Psychologist in Berkeley, California.
He was entrapped by an undercover police officer and was charged with lewd and dissolute conduct. Instead of pleading guilty and paying $150, Jon plead not guilty even though a conviction would make him a sex offender for the rest of his life.
​He is quoted as saying “I was so naive. I didn't fully grasp the gravity of what I was doing. When people are cast into a heroic moment, and if it's a truly heroic moment, they just step into it-I knew I had to defend myself. So I went to the legal law bookstore downtown near the courthouse and I got a copy of California Legal Procedure and the criminal code.
At that time, I was a systems analyst and a city planner, and I thought, well if I can do that, I can do this. I read everything I could. I subpoenaed every member of the police commission. I subpoenaed the head of the vice squad. I subpoenaed the chief of police. I had them all by their own cajones, and they couldn't go anywhere unless they could squash their subpoenas because they had to be in town if I wanted to call them to court, which I did.
Judge Nebron was helpful to me. He certainly didn't give me the victory, I did that. He asked me why I was doing this and I said 'Your Honor, if you really don't understand why, that's the problem. My life-I'm not fighting for just my life. This happens 10,000 times every year, at least.’ I then asked the arresting Officer Breem and said, 'Tell me, did you voluntarily enter this work with the police department?'
'Well, yes, of course, I did.'
'So, you went to the police academy?'
'Yes, I went to the police academy.'
'I assumed that at some point along the way, you were given a choice about where you want to work, and you chose the vice squad?'
'Objection, Your Honor. Objection.'
The judge overruled his objection.
'Yes, I did. I chose the vice squad.'
'Well, that's a fascinating choice.'
'Are you married?'
'I object.'
'This is to the point, Your Honor.'
'If I may, children?
'Yes.'
'Well, tell me, Officer Breem, how does your wife feel about you hanging out in these different men's rooms, picking up faggots?' He wanted to kill me so bad. I walked in as a city planner, and I walked out a famous fagot. I won my case.”
In the early 1970s, the relationship between the gay community and mainstream American society was complex and often strained. The concept of "coming out" - publicly acknowledging one's homosexuality - was still relatively new and far less common than it is today. Many gay individuals remained closeted due to societal pressure and the risk of discrimination. The number of openly gay individuals during this period was significantly lower compared to later decades.
Police raids on gay bars and other venues were common, and those arrested often faced brutal treatment and legal consequences merely for their sexual orientation.
In cities like New York and Los Angeles, there were burgeoning gay neighborhoods and some degree of community organization, which facilitated activism and provided some support networks for gay individuals. These cities became focal points for gay rights activism, particularly after Stonewall.
Despite the presence of these communities, discrimination in housing, employment, and other areas of public life remained pervasive. Gay bars and clubs, often the only safe havens for the community, frequently operated under the threat of police action.
Mainstream American society in the early 1970s generally held conservative views about sexuality, and homosexuality was often viewed as immoral or pathological. The American Psychiatric Association did not remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders until 1973, reflecting broader societal prejudices.
The media portrayal of gay individuals was also typically negative or stereotyped, which contributed to widespread misunderstanding and prejudice.
The early 1970s were a period of crucial conflict and change, setting the stage for the decades of activism that would follow. The gay community's resilience in the face of widespread societal and institutional opposition laid the groundwork for the significant civil rights advancements that would be achieved in later years.