TheAtlanta Public Library perversion case refers to a series ofarrests made in September 1953 at theAtlanta Public Library inAtlanta,Georgia United States. TheAtlanta Police Department, at the request of library officials, had set up astakeout in the library's men'srestroom via aone-way mirror and arrested 20 people on charges ofsodomy over a period of 8 days. The incident was widely covered in the localnewspapers.
In September 1953, members of theAtlanta Police Department'svice squad set up a stakeout at theAtlanta Public Library indowntown Atlanta at the request of library officials.[1] The library's restrooms were considered"tea rooms" in Atlanta's gay community, places where gay men met to havesexual intercourse.[2] On September 4, the police arrested two men forsodomy after witnessing them performfellatio.[1] In total, 20 men were arrested over the course of 8 days for similar charges.[1][3] The local newspapers, includingThe Atlanta Journal andThe Atlanta Constitution, both widely covered the incident, and theaddresses, names, andplaces of employment of the 20 men were published.[4] 19 of the men lost their jobs following the incident.[5][4] The name of the incident, "The Atlanta Public Library perversion case", was coined byThe Atlanta Constitution.[1]
Charges against the 20 men were brought before aFulton Countygrand jury on September 15.[1] In December, they appeared before the county'ssuperior court, with all pleading guilty.[5]James MacKay, who would later serve as aRepresentative from Georgia, spoke on behalf of the accused.[6] The presiding judge accepted the guilty pleas, imposed fines of up to $200, and sentenced them to between 2 and 3 years inprison, though all sentences were eventually suspended orprobated.[6] Additionally, all men were barred from ever visiting the Atlanta Public Library again, several were required to leave Atlanta (with several of these men required to live with family members), and many had to report to church officials.[6] Overall, the sentencing was viewed as lenient.[7]
This incident occurred during a larger movement within the Federal government targeting homosexual people in government, thelavender scare.[3] At the same time in Atlanta, similar police events occurred inPiedmont Park,[8][9] andThe Atlanta Constitution editorRalph McGill called for "tougher sex crimes legislation."[9]
