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Florida's Purge Of Gay And Lesbian Teachers Summary

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And They Were Wonderful Teachers: Florida’s Purge of Gay and Lesbian Teachers by Graves, Karen takes look on Florida's purge of gay and lesbian teachers in the middle of the twentieth century. Graves examine Johns Committee a Florida Legislative Investigation investigated and persecution of teachers on the basis of different sexuality. This study shows Florida's attempt to govern sexuality in schools and control the dominant ideology of sexuality in American. It gives a details information in to the practices of rooting out teachers and removing their professional credentials. But also, show how teachers responded and resisted the invasion from the undercover investigations.
During the twentieth century there constant attacks on civil liberties and academic freedom (Graves, xiii). This was because the fear of the different, after the two international wars, Great Depression, and threat of another with Cold War that the United States experienced. In order to control this fear a Florida Legislative Investigation called the Johns Committee was …show more content…

Some of the victims try will silence in regards to question. Thought the silence did not protect them the loss of material wealth and careers of being connected with homosexuality (Graves, 48). There were many forms of resistance the committee, the most effective was keep their answers short and not provide with the investigators lots information (Graves, 48). Teacher responded with resistance with resignations in order to avoid the persecution. Thought there little legal success in protect gay and lesbian citizens since no laws existed. However, the NAACP did find success with Supreme Court case of Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee that terminated the John committee (Graves, 93). It did not end the purge of lesbian and gay schoolteachers made more publicly accountably with the Board of Education (BOE)

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