. ▁The ▁novel ' s ▁plot ▁takes ▁place ▁during ▁the ▁on going ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁Mc Car thy ist ▁Lav ender ▁Sc are ▁era ▁when ▁thousands ▁of ▁les bian ▁and ▁gay ▁applic ants ▁were ▁bar red ▁from ▁federal ▁employ ment ▁as ▁national ▁security ▁thre ats ▁under ▁President ▁Eisen h ower ' s ▁Executive ▁Order ▁ 1 0 4 5 0 , ▁and ▁over ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁federal ▁employees ▁were ▁fired ▁under ▁susp ic ions ▁of ▁being ▁hom osex ual . ▁▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁ ▁September ▁– ▁Ut ah ▁native ▁and ▁L DS - ra ised ▁R . ▁Jo el ▁Dor ius ▁( born ▁ 1 9 1 9 ) ▁would ▁become ▁an ▁unw itting ▁champion ▁of ▁gay ▁liber ation ▁after ▁he ▁was ▁arrested ▁in ▁Massachusetts ▁along ▁with ▁two ▁cow ork ers ▁and ▁fired ▁from ▁his ▁language ▁and ▁visual ▁arts ▁Smith ▁College ▁professor ship . ▁His ▁house ▁was ▁ra ided ▁and ▁be ef ca ke ▁fit ness ▁mag az ines ▁with ▁er otic ▁images ▁of ▁men ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁considered ▁a ▁Mc Car thy ist ▁gay ▁w itch ▁h unt . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁a ▁cow ork er , ▁Dor ius ▁appe aled ▁the ▁ver dict ▁of ▁por n ography ▁possession ▁to ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Supreme ▁Jud icial ▁Court ▁and ▁all ▁three ▁profess ors ▁were ▁ex on er ated ▁as ▁the ▁ra id ▁war r ants ▁were ▁de emed ▁un const itution al . ▁The ▁sc andal ▁has