The Boys of Boise: Furor, Vice and Folly in an American City

by John Gerassi

In 1955, a manufactured scandal, pushed by the Idaho Daily Statesman and conservative elites, rocked the city of Boise, Idaho with charges of a widespread "homosexual underworld" and a number of convictions of members of the Boise community to sentences ranging from probation to life imprisonment. Written ten years later, this piece of investigative journalism recounts the origins of the probe and discusses the trials that followed. Gerassi (political science, Queens College, New York) argues that the trials should be placed in the context of Cold War anti-Communist hysteria and that the charges were a way for a conservative elite to attack progressive and reform-minded Boise citizens. A brief foreword places the work in the historical context of society's understanding of homosexuality in 1965. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: History, Nonfiction, LGBT, Gay

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

John Gerassi is professor of political science at Queens College, City University of New York, and is the author ofJean-Paul Sartre: HatedConscience of His Century."

Reviews

[ALLEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1955, Boise, Idaho's youngest gay men got the "McCarthy treatment" from a full-court press of press, police, and prosecutorial persection -- a kind of homemade Idaho Putsch that began with an editorial in the morning paper whipping up hysteria over an alleged "homosexual crisis". THE BOYS OF BOISE offers a sad and dispiriting example of how to manufacture a "moral" scandal out of next-to-nothing. While most Boiseans of the time reacted to the doings as a mere civil kerfuffle, it ruined many lives and altered others. With the help of moonlighting FBI agents, a sealed house with interrogation rooms and endlessly-spinning tape recorders took down the whole inquisition. Many fled, but some stayed home to face trial. The upshot was ruined lives and some suicides, which were recounted in even more depressing detail in the public-television documentary "THE FALL OF '55 - (GREETINGS FROM BOISE)." (https://www.amazon.com/Fall-55-Claudi...
)

Still, we may never exactly know who fomented the panic: conservative politicians, the Mormon church, out-of-work investigators looking to keep the McCarthy machine going? Author John Gerassi has crafted an impressive and well-written document in this 1965 book, useful for anyone who cares about gay rights -- indeed, about civil liberties in general. Should definitely still be read.

[Stesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected to read a depiction of the homosexual witch hunt that happened in the city of Boise, Idaho in 1955/1956, but what I found in this book was a much more in-depth examination, not just of the facts of that winter, when over a thousand people were questioned and 16 men convicted of sex acts with other men, but of the climate in Idaho that lead to these events. I've been joking that I know way more about Idaho (pre-1965) than I ever wanted to know, but all of the information that Gerassi included only helped me understand how something like this could've happened by showing all of the forces in play, outside of just base homophobia, i.e. Economic, religious, racial, political.

My feeling is that the best historical texts show us something of ourselves today, and The Boys of Boise is one of those books. While the dialogue regarding homosexuals in society is hugely different today than it was then, the language regarding what drives societal fears hasn't. All one has to do is scratch out "homosexual" or "communist" and write in "Islam" to see us in the poor, frightened people of Boise, Idaho who were told by their local media to "Crush the Monster" that was coming for its children.

One of the elements that stood out for me was how Gerassi chose not to mince words when it came to his personal feelings about the people of Boise, who he felt were complicit in the gross injustices that were perpetrated. To quote him, "It (the witch hunt) also exposed Boiseans' intolerance, ignorance and blind stupidity."

[LauriAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wild ride. It covers the event, but is more revealing of the prevailing attitudes toward homosexuality and pedophilia of the time. And the misogyny! Wow.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is an important work for Idaho history, injustice, human rights and for gays and lesbians, the work needs to be updated. The author's own bias is inappropriate but the point of what injustice was given to these "boys of Boise" in the 1950's is completely appalling. The book has long chapters that are boring about Idaho's economic shortcomings and political issues along with being ruled by the Mormon cult. While some or all of this may have been relevant at the time of the writing (1965) or even now, I felt that the author should have jumped straight to the point about how this was affecting the homosexual scandal. The author also jumps around a bit in his interviews and investigative findings which does not make for "fluid reading" but rather choppy.

There is a documentary "The Fall of '55" which I plan to watch to get a more updated perspective on this issue and a better follow up of these men and how they were affected after the events. http://www.amazon.com/The-Fall-of-55/...

Interview with the creator of the documentary: http://theeveningclass.blogspot.com/2...

[Emily Dixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The chapters on the social history of Idaho were fascinating, but the script from the court room was sooo boring.

[Paul Gaya Ochieng Simeon Juma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Boise scandal began in October 1955, following the arrest of two men on morals charges and the false claim by a Boise probation officer that "about 100 boys' were involved in a "homosexual ring." According to Gerassi, the police questioned nearly fifteen hundred Boise citizens and gathered the names of hundreds of suspected homosexuals by the time the investigations ran its course the following year. All told, sixteen men were arrested on charges ranging from "lewd and lascivious conduct with minor children under the age of sixteen" to "infamous crimes against nature". Of the sixteen, ten went to jail, including several whose only crime had been to engage in sex with another consenting adult male.

They say that there can be no reconciliation where their is no open warfare. There must be a battle, a brave boisterous battle, with pennants waving and canon roaring, before their can be peaceful treaties and enthusiastic shaking of hands. For example, it has been suggested that historically, the union between France and England perhaps owes its greatest force to the recollection of bygone conquests and defeat. Was this what happened between the 'straight' and 'gay' community in America? This book is a testament of how these two groups hated each other and licked each other and had it out, as the common phrase goes. Presently, things have improved. Even though we cannot expect the two sides to fall into each others arms and vow eternal friendship and everlasting brotherhood, their is some tolerance.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The similarities between the sociological profile of 1955's Idaho and that of present-day are remarkable. In some ways, it's a sad read, but an admirable and compelling effort on Gerassi's part.

(I read the 1965 edition and am hoping to get ahold of the updated edition soon in order to read the preface -- in particular I am curious to see whether it mentions the recent "Fall of 55" documentary.)

[Joseph Crupper · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gets my goat that this scandal rocked my state under seventy years ago and no one remembers. I read this book because I wanted to learn more about it, and I don’t regret that. But this book is very dated, and really meant for history buffs.

Unless you like reading court transcripts, I’d recommend listening to Making Gay History’s podcast that features a Middleton resident who was around during this time period. Much more inspirational. That being said, I’m glad I own this book.

[Mary Mosley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to see how much has changed since the 1960s. I think I read this because some people want to go back to the bad old days.

[Robyn]

Idaho