1980. Television: Alan Whicker meets San Francisco’s LGBT police recruits
British television journalist Alan Whicker made his name as a fearless, globe-trotting reporter who produced a series of ground-breaking stories throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s.
No topic seemed out of bounds for him and he covered everything from Latin American dictators to ‘swingers’, plastic surgeons and refugees. In 1973 he even filmed a gay marriage in California in his programme The Lord is My Shepherd and He Knows I’m Gay.
He returned to California in 1980 to make two episodes of his famous Whicker’s World television series. Both were set in San Francisco: the first looked at women police officers, the second covered the SF Police Department’s efforts to recruit LGBT police officers.
It was a highly controversial issue at the time (hence the title, If A Cop Wiggled Around With Pink Hair and a Limp Wrist It Would Discredit the Department). It was also less than two years since the assassination of Harvey Milk by ex-cop Dan White, an event that further heightened tensions between police and the LGBT community.
The recruitment of LGBT police officers was a key strategy towards defusing that tension and Whicker was, in effect, documenting its birthing pains. Feelings were running high: there was entrenched homophobia within the police force and tension and suspicion amongst the first batch of LGBT recruits. One such recruit was Stephanie, to whom Whicker says, “You were a very aggressive lesbian, wearing Super Dyke T-shirts: you’ve got much more gentle now you’re a cop“.
Nearly 30 years later, Whicker returned to meet up with that first batch of recruits. Stephanie is now Stefan and even more gentle and laid back.
Hi all, I’ve only just watched Alan wickers world, I brought on a DVD boxset, and after watching the LGBT 2 programs. Was wondering what happened all these years later. It would be great television, if mr wicker was still with us, and the BBC had filmed it with all those that tock part 40yrs later. But I hope that those who took part are all well.and retired.
I’m afraid Alan Whicker died some years ago now. But it would certainly be interesting to learn what had happened to the subjects of his films. Not sure who would be an appropriate journalist to do it though. Louis Theroux perhaps?