Reddit mentions of A Single Man

Being homophobic in 1951 wasn't weird. It was part and parcel of the culture at the time, and it would have been weird if Hubbard had been welcoming to homosexuals. I can and do criticize the guy on many issues, but I cannot fault him for being a man of his time. Science of Survival also had remarks about women's place being in the home, too -- which did not keep him from encouraging his wife to run the shop.

The problem that Hubbard did not distinguish the behavior from the situation. In 1951, when you could lose your job by admitting you were homosexual, of course someone who was gay would be covert about it. (A truly marvelous movie that captures the spirit of the time is Colin Firth's A Single Man; recommended.) And when you feel you must suppress something that is "who you are," naturally you will be hostile about it. So duh.

In 1951 that kind of attitude was common, far more than many young 'uns can understand. Just as my younger friends truly cannot fathom what it was like to participate in the rank sexism that Mad Men so accurately displays. And I'm glad that it's a foreign viewpoint.

The issue is that the CofS didn't change its attitudes as society's attitudes did. Yet one more example of the organization getting more out-of-touch.