Just out., June 01, 2001, Page 51, Image 51

juna 1 ,2001 »
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Better late
than never
Continued from Page 1
Single again, Blake needed a job. “I could­
n’t type, so 1 joined the Los Angeles Police
Department,” she says.
Then she laughs at herself, acknowledging
that she had chosen two such masculine
careers, the military and police work. “I walked
a beat in downtown L.A.,” she says with pride.
In 1949, the United States began recruiting
ex-GIs for the Reserve. Blake, along with 100
male police officers, signed on.
This was the beginning of her troubles with
the LAPD. Her superiors ordered her to resign
her military commission, saying that a female
police officer connected to the military would
bring disgrace to the department.
“There was a homosexual stigma on military
women,” Blake explains. “I refused to resign.
Why should I resign?” She frowns. “I hadn’t done
anything wrong, and I was not homosexual.”
During the year and a half that she contin­
ued in that position, she was unable to get any
kind of promotion. “The men of the depart­
ment felt that women should be beneath men,
both literally and figuratively.”
Then, to her surprise, Blake involuntarily
Fanchon Blake taking aim during her Army years
was recalled to active duty in the Army Crimi­
ger,” Blake laughs,
By the early 70s, feminism was revolution­
nal Investigation Division. Her assignment was
“but they asked me
izing American life. Gender-based discrimina­
to investigate Women’s Army Corps members
to leave.” I can
tion was finally illegal, and Blake knew it.
for homosexuality.
attest that her
She became an active thorn in manage­
“I had to follow orders, no matter
ment’s side, agitating for change with­ handsome swagger
how I felt about them,” she says. “I
is still intact.
in the police department. “1 had to
did my job, and I did it well.”
fight for everything I got, and I
“All this time, it
Blake did her job so well
didn’t
dawn on me
didn’t
get
much,"
she
says.
that she was sent to Japan in
Blake wrote letters of com­ that I was a lesbian,”
1953 to investigate the 300
she recalls. But one
plaint and spoke up at meet­
members of the Tokyo
day, her angry third
ings. “My life was hell."
Women’s Army Corps
husband shouted at
Then, in 1973, she
Detachment. “I was
her, calling her a
filed an official sex dis­
placed in a horrible posi­
“queer bitch.”
crimination complaint
tion. I was investigating
Blake was sur­
with the Federal Commis­
old friends and felt like I
prised at her own
sion for Equal Opportuni­
was betraying them.”
reaction. Instead of
ty.
“I
knew
my
life
was
on
Women who were
being furious with
the line,” she recalls.
found to be homosexual
the insult, she
“Women just didn’t do
were separated from the
thought about what
those
things
in
the
LAPD.”
military with “dishonor­
a strange thing that
As soon as the suit was
able” or “other than hon­
was for him to say.
filed, Blake’s phone was
orable" discharges. “They
She recalled how
tapped, and she was tailed by
were cast out from society,”
homosexuality had
cops from internal affairs. “I was
Blake explains. “It was horrible
been a recurring
in fear for my life," she says.
for them,” and I can see the memo
theme in her life.
Blake at 80
“The men in the department
ry is still horrible for her.
All smiles the day
She knew something
Yet, she felt compelled to follow
s^e won her laWSUit hated my guts,” she says, recalling
was
wrong, but she didn’t know what. She
the terrible strain. “Nobody would
orders. “I’m an honest soul, and I did
talk to me— no one.”
my job to the best of my abilities,” she asserts.
In October 1973,
“It didn’t take much to investigate in those
Blake had a stroke on
days.”
duty.
No one would
By the end of that assignment, Blake found
help her. She was not
herself under investigation for homosexuality.
allowed to leave her
The accusation didn’t stick, but her military
work to go for help.
career was soon over.
By the time she
She returned to her job with the LAPD,
even sought counseling and sex therapy, but
finished her shift and got medical help, she was
where she was promoted to sergeant in 1967
neither helped.
blind in one eye and numb on her right side.
working in forgery/bunco. No woman ever had
In a state of desperation, Blake flew to
She recovered from the stroke and retired from
been promoted above the rank of sergeant.
Europe
alone to think. “I needed to find
the police force in February 1974.
Out of 5,000 officers in the LAPD, Blake
myself,” she says.
All this time, Fanchon Blake still thought
estimates 130 were women. Women’s jobs in
On the trip, she met an old beautician
she was straight. She had married three times,
the department were very limited, even though
friend,
Ralph. He was a gentle, fun kind of
trying to find a man she could be happy with.
women like her were allowed to carry guns. In
man who Blake found easy to talk to.
She had a son, which she thought at the
fact, Blake herself was an expert marksperson.
Yes, indeed, Ralph was gay. So when she
time proved she was heterosexual. She tried to
During that time, she was elected president
confided
in him, he said, “Fanchon, you’re
make herself appear more feminine than was
of the Police Women’s Association and got an
gay." And then she knew it was true.
her nature.
inside look at management. She saw that
She and Ralph toured Europe together
“I even went to the Powers School of
women systematically were discriminated
and
had a great time. They even stopped
Modeling to eliminate my masculine swag­
against in opportunities and pay.
At long last she came out
in 1977 at the age of 56.
“It was incredibly liberating,”
she smiles.
over in Edinburgh, Scotland,
where Blake met a lovely
Scottish woman who proved
Ralph’s point.
“It was spectacular!” she
declares, recalling her first
time having sex with a
woman. “And there was no
going back.”
A t long last she came out
in 1977 at the age of 56. “ It
was incredibly liberating,” she
smiles.
Blake made up for lost time
and started going to gay bars
and meeting women. One
night when she was out danc­
ing, she bumped into another
policewoman.
“1 asked her how many of
us there were,” Blake says,
recalling all the bad old days.
She has had a number of
relationships with women
since then.
Then, after six years, her
lawsuit finally was settled.
She was awarded $50,000, and the LAPD
was forced to promote six women to
lieutenant immediately, hire 1,800 more
women and reassign women according to
their qualifications.
Mayor Tom Bradley and City Councilor
Patricia Russell threw a huge party for her.
“The lawsuit had cost the city $2 million, and
when they lost, they threw me a party,” she
ponders.
Kimher Williams of Eugene’s Register-
Guard is writing a book about Blake’s life.
When I say what a fine movie her life would
make, she laughs and says, “I admit I dream
of Sigourney Weaver playing my part.”
Her personal ad has brought just one reply,
but she is eager to leave our interview to get
back home and respond to the caller. “I don’t
want a one-night stand,” she grins, “unless
that’s all I can get."
n
HERON is a Portland free-lance writer and artist.
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