Entrapment was rife and shakedowns common as those cruising “the Run” sought comfort from each other but often found themselves in custody. Still, Pershing Square was the place for meeting fellow gays but LAPD was there also, gathering some 10,000 files on suspected “sex offenders.” World War II offered a small oasis for gay men and women who found R&R in downtown despite 30 establishments declared “out of bounds” for servicemen and women. Yet, savvy businessmen did provide an escape from the homophobia surrounding this society and places like the discreet “Crown Jewel” or the more “out” Harold’s, the Waldorf and Maxwell’s operated in downtown despite the constant threat of being raided and all the customers being arrested for merely sitting together or dancing. In 1953 Executive Order 10450 made it official that anyone found to be gay could be fired from their jobs with no warning and even business owners who catered to gay clientele could lose their license. Remember that this was a time when homosexuality was equated with the most negative of false stereotypes and the medical establishment described the orientation as “a perversion” or “mental disease.” Police harassment was an official policy and ruthless vice squad members preyed upon these men who risked losses of jobs, social status, and large fines that could ruin them financially and emotionally. “The Run” encompassed parts of the cocktail lounge at the Biltmore Hotel, places in and around the Central Library, and primarily Pershing Square where trysts and flirtations abounded. From the post-World War I era up into the 1960’s downtown Los Angeles maintained what was called in the underground gay community “the Run” where gents could stroll, meet like-minded fellows, and feel somewhat comfortable in their own skins.
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One must conjure up a picture of the homophobic times to appreciate the importance of the open social spaces in the old park for the severely persecuted men who had to remain secretive about their sexual orientation to protect their livelihoods and freedom. This post is an attempt to redress that lack of research and to recognize LGBT month at Los Angeles Public Library. When using a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo check the safe search settings where you can exclude adult content sites from your search results Īsk your internet service provider if they offer additional filters īe responsible, know what your children are doing online.Previously, in writing about Pershing Square I neglected to describe the essential role the place had in the Gay history of Los Angeles. Use family filters of your operating systems and/or browsers Other steps you can take to protect your children are: More information about the RTA Label and compatible services can be found here. Parental tools that are compatible with the RTA label will block access to this site. We use the "Restricted To Adults" (RTA) website label to better enable parental filtering. Protect your children from adult content and block access to this site by using parental controls.
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