Communists and Perverts Under the Palms

One might make the argument that America as a whole has moved beyond McCarthyism better than Florida has done with the legacy of the notorious Johns Committee. The sunshine state still had antigay sodomy laws until Lawrence v. Texas, and it prohibited gay couples from adopting children until 2010. In 2008 a ballot initiative banned civil unions. Miami only got domestic partnerships in 2010 and Orlando in 2011. Tampa's city council passed a version of domestic partnerships three days ago. Progress, slowly. For one source of the bigotry, read Stacy Braukman's brand new book Communists and Perverts Under the Palms: The Johns Committee in Florida, 1956-1965.