Personal LGBTQ+ Accounts
The goal of this page is to provide some intimate stories that were covered in The Mid-Town Journal. Throughout this site, I have presented the metadata gathered from the journal without diving too deep into the anecdotes and personalities that surfaced. The first account will provide a more detailed look into a party attended by gay men in the Bay Village. The second account will trace the experiences of a transgender woman living in Boston from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s.
The Story Of George Mansour
In early March 1953, Frederick Shibley sat in the gallery of the Boston Municipal Court recording the multiple arrests from the prior night. One of those court cases that Shibley found exciting enough to document and publicize was that of a "wild birthday sex party" that had been interrupted by the police acting on an anonymous tip at approximately 12:30 a.m. the night before. Shibley recorded the names of several gay men who were arrested and brought into court the next day. All of the men entered not guilty pleas on charges of morals violations.1 Shibley noted that this gathering was for a birthday party hosted for a friend whose apartment was too small for such a celebration. Apparently, birthday invitations were made which read, "Your presence is requested at a double gay birthday party in honor of Robert [M] at 17 Melrose st. There will be two rooms for your pleasure. Madame Mollie will be your hostess and the Beautiful Roxanne will entertain."2 We will soon realize that some of Shibley's details may have been fictionalized.
The police officers who raided the apartment described what they encountered. Supposedly, they confronted dozens of sailors and effeminate men intermingling with each other. On the fourth floor, the police caught and detained George M and Elvin L, a sailor stationed in Charlestown, having sexual relations. On the third floor, there continued to be a large gathering of jacketless sailors meandering amongst themselves drinking and socializing. There was also a exotic female dancer named of Roxanne within the crowd. According to the testimony from the police, many of the sailors who were present had been invited by one of the co-hosts of the party. Invitations were given out at a local Bay Village bar named "Jacques" where the sailors originated.3 Shibley ended the article by stating that all of the men who were arrested were found guilty. The man who hosted the party was "charged with permitting premises to be used for lewd purposes...[and] was ordered to serve nine months in jail."4 The other men were sentenced with six month suspended sentences and two year probations.
Fifty years later, Michael Bronski interviewed George Mansour who was one of the men arrested at this party for The Phoenix, a Boston area magazine and online periodical. Mansour's interview is fascinating because he simultaneously reaffirmed some of the details reported in The Mid-Town Journal while invalidating others. First, Mansour noted that there was indeed a party and there were a sizable number of men in attendance. He said that the journal correctly stated his home address, but not his age. Mansour was having sexual relations with a sailor when the police opened the door and arrested them. However, there were a few details that Mansour disbelieves. One was that Mansour did not remember anyone doing drag or wearing makeup at the party. He did not recall Roxanne being present. His age was incorrectly reported and he did not see dozens of jacketless sailors at the party.5 Overall, it was far from being an extravagant sex party as Shibley chronicled. Though it does need to be mentioned that while being interviewed Mansour did admit that he did not have a "clear memory" of that night and that overall being arrested was a traumatic moment in his life.6 We can conclude that Shibley likely fabricated some of the details in order to sell papers, but that does not mean that the article cannot be relied upon as a historical source. Mansour did after all confirm many of the details that were reported. His 50 year old memories of that night can be used to collaborate the broad strokes of the article, yet those very memories should not discount the journal.
Lastly, Mansour recounted how being arrested for sex and morals acts was an traumatic experience. As laid out in previous sections of the site, the 1950s, especially the early 1950s, was a time of great persecution of homosexuals. Being a 19 year old young male, arrested for having relations with another man could have profound consequences in almost every facet of one's life. The day after the arrest Mansour was in the court room with his mother and father. He expected a negative reaction from his family, but surprisingly his father and mother were understanding of his sexuality. Mansour's father told him, "If you want to meet [gay men] I want you to bring them back to the house, that will be safer for you."7 In a time of societal wide intolerance, his own father showed compassion and a desire for his son to be safe. Unfortunately, that tolerance did not extend to every facet of his life. Mansour said that after being convicted on morals charges, Boston University rescinded his acceptance. But, aside from that, he stated that the conviction did not have much of a negative impact on his life. Mansour escaped relatively unscathed, unlike thousands of others.
The Story Of Odellett
The second account that I will detail is of a transgender woman who went by the name of Odellett. She was first mentioned in the journal in February of 1956 and again five years later in August of 1961. Then, lastly, almost two years later, in September 1963, Odellett surfaced for one last time.
The first article that referred to Odellett describe her as a "gay lady" who was wearing a rhinestone cap, most likely fake "diamond studded earrings," a raglan coat and gold dusted bangs.8 She had been observed by a police officer for a period of a few hours standing on the corner of Worcester and Tremont Street soliciting sex from passing motorists. Her bizarre attire and behavior caught the attention of the police. According to Shibley, Odellett had such difficulty in stopping motorists that she was practically in the street blocking traffic in order to attract potential customers.9
Odellett spent hours on the corner of the street being observed by the police before she was arrested. The next day in court, Odellett was found guilty of being an idle and disorderly person. It was noted that she had already been on probation and a suspended sentence, most likely for a similar previous offense. On top of the remaining charges, she was given a new six month sentence. The judge was quoted in saying, "I guess it's hopeless trying to reform you [Odellett]."10
In 1961, Odellett again reappeared in the journal after being arrested for armed robbery. She had continued soliciting sex from passing motorists on Tremont Street, but due to the lack of customers, she had to resort to robbery in order to support herself. Shibley is a bit more descriptive in his article when referring to Odellett. We learn that she had a long history as a local sex worker in the South End and the Back Bay areas and that her exploits had brought "at least two jail terms."11 This would indicate that she wanted to continue to cruise in an area she was familiar with. Appearing in court the day after her arrest for robbing a man of $146 at knife point, Odellett stated that at the time of the robbery she was drunk and had little to no recollection of her actions.12 Shibley did not state what the judged sentenced, but we know that she was held on a $5000 bail. Compared to five years earlier, Odellett's life had deteriorated. Working on the streets for years likely had a detrimental impact on her. Thus, she resorted to drinking and the violent act of armed robbery. Shibley portrayed her as a dejected desperate personality willing to use violence as way to survive.
Two years later, in 1963, Odellett emerged within The Mid-Town Journal one last time. Odellett was again cruising along Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue. She was arrested after unknowingly soliciting sex from a passing officer. Shibley noted how she was an "old customer" at the court house, wearing a wig and high heels.13 This would suggest that Odellett had been arrested at least once between 1961 and 1963. It appears that she continued to work openly as a sex worker in the South End disregarding the surveillance and harassment of the authorities. Yet, it should also be noted that Shibley did not indicate any drunkenness or violent act perpetrated by Odellett. It is possible that she had made some strides towards self-improvement. The judge sentenced her to a month in jail. That was the last time the journal wrote about Odellett.
Notes
[1] Frederick Shibley, “Wild Stag Bags Drag Lads: Copenhagen Kids' Odd Birthday Party Features Sex Orgy," The Mid-Town Journal, March 13, 1953, 1.
[2] Shibley, “Wild Stag Bags Drag Lads," 5.
[3] George Mansour, “Drag lad tells all,” interview by Michael Bronski, The Phoenix, March 6 - 13, 2003, https://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/other_stories/documents/02740727.htm.
[4] Shibley, “Wild Stag Bags Drag Lads," 5.
[5] Mansour, Interview.
[6] Mansour, Interview.
[7] Mansour, Interview.
[8] Frederick Shibley, "Gay Lady's Luring Drops to New Low, Gets One From Ten," The Mid-Town Journal, February 17, 1956, 8.
[9] Shibley, "Gay Lady's Luring," 8.
[10] Shibley, "Gay Lady's Luring," 8.
[11] Frederick Shibley, " Female Impersonator Bares Chameleon Frolics Nipped As "He Man" In Robbery," The Mid-Town Journal, August 14, 1961, 1.
[12] Shibley, " Female Impersonator Bares Chameleon," 1.
[13] Frederick Shibley, "Balloons Boom, Boy Bust: Masquerading Gal's Yoo-Hoos & Yodels Jug Two, Not Belles," The Mid-Town Journal, September 2, 1963, 8.