41: Invisible Networks: The Hunt for the Friends of Dorothy

The early 1980s were a tumultuous time in the United States, marked by a culture of fear and a crusade against an invisible enemy within. The U.S. military, a bastion of traditional values and rigid norms, found itself grappling with a perceived internal threat, not from a foreign adversary but from within its ranks — a clandestine community of service members known collectively by a cryptic moniker: The Friends of Dorothy.

In this episode of "Hometown History," we delve into the covert operations and secretive investigations launched by the Department of Defense to root out homosexuality in the armed forces. With an atmosphere resembling a Cold War espionage thriller, the search for Dorothy and her network reflects a pivotal moment in the history of LGBTQ+ rights and the military's struggle with acceptance and diversity.