EP 123. Harvard’s Gay Witch Hunt – The Secret Court of 1920

A secret tribunal. Expulsions. Lives destroyed.

Harvard once tried to erase queerness—and buried the truth for nearly a century.

In 1920, after the tragic suicide of student Cyril Wilcox, Harvard University launched a covert investigation into homosexual conduct among its students. Acting Dean Chester Noyes Greenough assembled a five-man tribunal that would come to be known only as the "Secret Court." Over two weeks, more than 30 people were summoned and interrogated. Eight students, a recent graduate, and an assistant professor were expelled or severed from the university. Their identities were hidden. Their stories, suppressed. This episode dives into one of the darkest, most repressive chapters in Ivy League history.

This LGBTQ+ true crime podcast episode exposes a little-known but deeply consequential cover-up in queer history, examining how institutional secrecy and homophobia shaped the fate of those caught in its crosshairs.

Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers brings chilling crimes, queer stories, and twisted justice to light—all with a cold one in hand.

Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we uncover the darkest corners of LGBTQ+ history.

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