John R. Rathom
The Enigmatic Providence Journal Editor Who Ignited the Newport Naval Sex Scandal
A virtual talk at Providence Public Library
May 21, 2020As editor of the Providence Journal a century ago, John Rathom almost singlehandedly took a homophobic Navy entrapment scheme and turned it into a national scandal, one which brought homosexual “scandalous conduct” into daily newspapers and almost derailed the presidential aspirations of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This talk looked at Rathom, a colorful huckster, and asked what it means when justice prevails but for all the wrong reasons.
This talk was hosted by PPL on May 21, 2020 and was the first public program of Scandalous Conduct / Newport 1919. The Newport Sex Scandal is a largely forgotten but hugely important moment in the history of LGBTQ+ rights.
Plaque of Rathom at Camp Yawgoog, Hopkinton, RI.
