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During the 1950s and 1960s, some otherwise freedom-loving governments waged secret wars against suspected homosexuals within their borders. During those years, Canada’s campaign to eliminate all homosexuals from the military, police, and the civil service was particularly broad and unforgiving, with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) compiling files on over 9,000 suspected homosexuals. Reports indicate that the RCMP created Security Service subsection A-3 in the 1950s, whose sole purpose was the identification and dismissal of every gay person in public service.
Perhaps the most disturbing element of their campaign was a government-owned device known only as the “Fruit Machine.” It resembled a dentist’s chair, but it also had various sensors, a camera to monitor the pupils, and a black box situated in front of the subject to display pictures. Subjects were told that the machine was used for measuring stress, yet its purpose was something else entirely; it was intended to identify whether the subject was gay.
A series of images would display on the monitor as the subject’s pupils, perspiration level, and heart rate were monitored for involuntary “erotic response.” Some images were mundane, while others were sexually explicitly photos of men and women. If the machine detected erotic response to certain images, the subject was assumed to be a homosexual.
In Britain, the term “fruit machine” is another term for the slot machines used in gambling. Given the questionable science and unreliability at work in Canada’s sinister fruit machine, theirs had more in common with its British namesake than it did with any actual scientific measuring devices. Yet the results of the fruit machine tests were used to fire thousands of people over the years.
The fruit machine was in use until the late 1960s when the government pulled all funding for the project. However that did not mark the end of the efforts to remove homosexuals from government service, and the RCMP continued to compile dossiers on suspected gays for years. A similar device called a plethysmograph, which connected directly to the subject’s genitals, was used for similar purposes after the fruit machine was retired, but the Canadian government eventually put a halt to the RCMP’s anti-homosexual activities. Plethysmographs are still in use today in investigating suspected pedophiles, but their accuracy is highly controversial.
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Er.. Ever seen the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? Their
outfit is perhaps the gayest thing anyone could come up with… Seems like he’d feel right at home in the Village People, doesn’t it?
You do know that their Dress Uniform? The Normal duds are a 2 piece buisness suit with white shirt and bad tie. Sometimes they wear realy dark sunglasses and supposedly inconspicuous yet oh so obvious earpiece radios.
And they dont ride Moose :p
Yes, that’s ceremonial.
Why was is called a fruit machine? Was it because of the erotic images or because it was unreliable?
It’s one of those stories where you don’t know wether to laugh of cry isn’t it?
I assume because they were trying to find “fruits”. Out of curiosity, is this still standard slang in the USA?
Put in a nickel and pull or stroke the handle
I find this terribly interesting… Or should I sad DAMN interesting.
I had no idea, that something like this ever happened in Canada. Oh and just to say I’m Canadian, and I whole heartedly agree, and the RCMP uniform looks fruity.
Although that may be my American side talking :P
lledra said: “I find this terribly interesting… Or should I sad DAMN interesting.
I had no idea, that something like this ever happened in Canada. Oh and just to say I’m Canadian, and I whole heartedly agree, and the RCMP uniform looks fruity.
Although that may be my American side talking :P”
Not to mention the Royal Canadian Mounted Police…
(Warning: In Bad taste!)
A few people who have moved to Canada and asked me “What is do you guys do for fun here?” This is a little lack of culture so I can understand the question. I just replied to him honestly. F**K. :-)
Can we help if our police do it enough to warrant inclusion into their name. :-)
FRUIT machine
HAHAHAHAHA
that’s just hilarious!
like the worst name they could’ve thought of!
godsgrandson said: “I assume because they were trying to find “fruits”. Out of curiosity, is this still standard slang in the USA?”
Rarely now, the now P.C. term according to my gay friends is simply “Queer” or “Gay” amongst friends and “homosexual or transgendered” in general conversation or media.
I always wondered how the word fruit came to mean gay anyway? Anyone have a history on this word in that conotation? Aparantly it is an older term than I would have thought. Humm.
Racism and prejudice boggle my mind. I work with gays as a costumer and dresser and always end up having fun and alot of laughs. I’ll never understand how some people can feel so threatened because someone is of a different race or sexual or religious persuasion.
How very bizarre. I want to know what the reasoning was to not have gays in the military. They must have been making some sort of assumption that the gays will do noting but hit on and rape everyone.
Mention of the plethysmograph reminded me of a study done.
Here is an interesting quote from the article I put a link to:
The Northwestern study strongly suggests this is true. The Northwestern researchers measured the psychological and physiological sexual arousal in homosexual and heterosexual men and women as they watched erotic films. There were three types of erotic films: those featuring only men, those featuring only women and those featuring male and female couples. As with previous research, the researchers found that men responded consistent with their sexual orientations. In contrast, both homosexual and heterosexual women showed a bisexual pattern of psychological as well as genital arousal. That is, heterosexual women were just as sexually aroused by watching female stimuli as by watching male stimuli, even though they prefer having sex with men rather than women.
I feel this might explain some of the sociological aspects of homophobia.
Isn’t that just damn interesting! Now everyone is just blaring out their sexuality. Gay or not, I’m sure most of us have heard about Sodom & Gomorrah. Just because you can’t find the remains or don’t “think” it happened doesn’t mean in didn’t take place. Get over it.
Not trying to get off subject here, but isn’t it awfully interesting how most subjects can end up in a religious debate or have some kind of connection to it? Maybe it’s just me.
Anyways, I do have a sense of humor and think this is hilarious as well.
Perhaps the term ‘fruit’ came from the similar meaning of ‘fruity’ and ‘queer’, albeit not the homosexual definitions.
You’re the only person to bring it up, so I don’t really see the conection.
The South Park generation says Candians are a bunch of passive-aggressive split heads anyhow.
Is queer an acceptable term where you come from? (I’m assuming USA), as in England, this is actually quite offensive! I am giving you a heads up just in case you ever come to England to visit :) its amazing what gets lost in translation isnt it?
I just think this is just another proof of how many
Homophobiacs there is and has been and always will be out there. It just makes me
Sick and ashamed of how that force stopped so
Low….
and ashamed also that this slime ball, ignorant behaviour and
Attitude is still growing like Poison Ivy
Who said gay people can’t fight for their
Countries defence
Oh that really puts a sour taste in my mouth
For the Canadian’s past defence forces.
I know this still goes on, whether in defence
Or just normal everyday attitudes and uneducated
Shameful behaviour and beliefs
This brings back to mind the “theory” that the length of the finger between the middle finger and the pinky finger was a reliable indicator of homosexuality.