And They Were Wonderful Teachers: Florida's Purge of Gay and Lesbian Teachers

by Karen L. Graves

And They Were Wonderful Teachers: Florida's Purge of Gay and Lesbian Teachers is a history of state oppression of gay and lesbian citizens during the Cold War and the dynamic set of responses it ignited. Focusing on Florida's purge of gay and lesbian teachers from 1956 to 1965, this study explores how the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, commonly known as the Johns Committee, investigated and discharged dozens of teachers on the basis of sexuality.

Karen L. Graves details how teachers were targeted, interrogated, and stripped of their professional credentials, and she examines the extent to which these teachers resisted the invasion of their personal lives. She contrasts the experience of three groups--civil rights activists, gay and lesbian teachers, and University of South Florida personnel--called before the committee and looks at the range of response and resistance to the investigations.

Based on archival research conducted on a recently opened series of Investigation Committee records in the State Archives of Florida, this work highlights the importance of sexuality in American and education history and argues that Florida's attempt to govern sexuality in schools implies that educators are distinctly positioned to transform dominant ideology in American society.

Genres: LGBT, History, Politics, School

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2009

Reviews

[Jeremy Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutally honest, thoroughly researched, and entirely relevant. At a time in postmodern Florida history when classroom conversations—what can and cannot be said—are being newly legislated from Tallahassee, especially as it pertains to sexuality and race, this book could not feel more timely. I underlined so many pages and sections as to warrant a second read-through very soon. What elevates this work into another realm is that even when you set aside the most obvious subject matter, the purge of gay and lesbian teachers during the 1950s and 1960s, it's also an in-depth case study on the psychology of schoolteachers past and present, a reality check for educators who believe they can, should, or will try to buck a system they don't like, even when it's oppressive and terrifying. It's an academic David vs Goliath. So good luck. In the end, I think the title could have been better, but that has nothing to do with the substance. And the substance was undeniably brilliant.

[Caylie Ratzlaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - read for a class at UIUC for a book review assignment. I didn’t know this happened, so I was intrigued and also the 50s and McCarthyism and witch hunts are one of my favorite historical eras, so it was interesting to see the correlation with lgbtq rights in Florida. I also like how it talks about the public scrutiny of teachers. It just felt really, really, really repetitive. It was also disjointed at some points, especially with the amount of time it spent discussing the naacp

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of rich, in-depth information about the Johns Committee's reign of terror towards Florida teachers, professors, and even students. A very prescient book considering the state of education in Florida today. Knocked points off for repetitiveness throughout and a lack of organization.

[Brendan M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given the current social and political climate within the American education system, this was a particularly important and insightful read. The parallels from Cold War Era Florida echoing into our current state of affairs shouldn’t be overlooked.

[Robby Fahrenholtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story this book has to tell is hauntingly familiar given our current circumstances, especially in Florida. The quotes provided in this book give a shocking picture of just how bluntly these people were attacking teachers and LGBTQ+ people as a whole and they speak to the fundamental misunderstandings of LGBTQ+ identities and culture that are still fueling homophobia and transphobia today.
My one criticism is that due to a combination of the academic style and nature of this book and how the author choose to organize it, it ends up repeating itself quite a bit in regard to the relevant events in the timeline rather than having a smoother chronological narrative. I suspect this is more to do with the academic style requirements than any choices made by the author, but it did make it somewhat slow to read.

[Gariel Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for a class and then conducted a book review for a final assignment. Although Graves does a wonderful job shedding light to this history of education, it was very repetitive. The part of the NAACP was very unclear and she almost wrote as if she was putting the two against each other? I really appreciated her passion for the topic, the archival research she added, and legal evidence. I just would have appreciated more intentional writing and explanation of claims. Overall I would recommend this book and believe that more historians should write about LGBTQ teachers, because they matter!

[Meghan Everette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter is fascinating and important. The use of teacher interviews is great. The redundancy in writing and non-linear timeline is hard to read.

[Gaby Chaput · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning feels pretty repetitive, but it gets a lot better about halfway through. The story is horrendous, amazing, and true, which kept me reading. Also, it was an assigned textbook for my class.

-Reading this for the second time as an instructor. The story is still shocking and important to hear. It'd be easier to digest if the story was written chronologically.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book on GLTB teachers in the state of Florida during the 1960s. Opened my eyes to how unjust we can be to those who are different.