Most gay men in the Western Hemisphere under the age of 50 have never had to experience life when it was still illegal to be gay.   And for almost 20 years now the right of same sex marriages in so many countries has compounded the acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights and the community in general.  Yet those of us who may pre-date all  this (!) will remember how low Authorities would sink to actually entrap any one they suspected of being gay and throwing the full force of the law.   

The scary part is that the harassment of gay mem literally goes back hundreds of years : in  UK  in 1889 it was the infamous Cleveland Street scandal when a homosexual male brothel and house of assignation  was discovered by police. However the ‘clients’ included aristocrats and other very  prominent  society figures,  so the government was accused of covering up the scandal to protect them.

There was a major incident in the US known as the Newport Navy Sex Scandal of 1919.  A mid-level Navy official in Newport named Ervin Arnold learned that some sailors stationed there were meeting up to have sex with other sailors and civilian men. Arnold made it his personal mission to root out homosexuality in the Navy.

It culminated in three weeks of military trials, with some of the sailors sent to prison on charges of sodomy and “scandalous conduct.” The incidents became nationally infamous – not just because there were sailors having sex with each other, but for the investigation methods which involved sending sailors out to seduce other sailors and entrap them.

It is a serious and somewhat shocking piece of  history which is now been re-told in the best way gay men know : its a new musical documentary.  

“Scandalous Conduct, a Fairy Extravaganza,” by co-creators Matthew Lawrence and Jason Tranchida unravels themes of homophobia and surveillance. Its an experimental video installation which pairs primary historical documents and archival photography with recreated excerpts from the elaborate and lively Vaudeville production of Jack and the Beanstalk: A Fairy Extravaganza that was staged in the spring of 1919 as part of a marketing plan to recruit young men into the Navy.

Matthew Lawrence told  QUEERGURU “This project is very special to us and we hope that this piece of queer-US history will allow attendees to consider some weighty topics that are as relevant today as they were in 1919.”  His co-creator  Jason Tranchida added “We began researching the scandal in 2019 and have spent several years developing this material through workshops, lectures, and performances. Much of Scandalous Conduct was filmed inside the Meeting House itself, to draw parallels between these events and where viewers stand today

Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza

September 12 - October 6, 2024
INSTALLATION | ARCHIVE | MULTIMEDIA An immersive video installation and 
experimental documentary piece about the Newport Navy Sex Scandal of 1919
The Great Friends Meeting House
Newport Historical Society, 
Newport, RI