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w0jty t1_j260nls wrote

Reply to comment by rhb4n8 in In 1969, when black Americans were still prevented from swimming alongside whites, Mr.Rogers decided to invite officer Clemmons to join him and cool his feet in a pool, breaking a well-known colour barrier. by Legitimate_Row_4944

In no way doubting this; I’d like to know more about this.

I have a very rosy image of Fred from growing up in pgh. I think getting a complete picture, however imperfect, is a good way to properly honor someone’s life.

Would like to know more if you have good sources to share. On mobile at the moment, and intend to research later, but figured why go down a previously traveled path, yknow?

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rhb4n8 t1_j2649hd wrote

I don't know the name of it but officer Clemons was talking about it in one of his many interviews about Fred for a documentary. I think it was years after the pool scene and he was talking about accepting the whole him... the way he talked about it I would be surprised if he didn't also talk about it in his book .

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w0jty t1_j26700x wrote

Sounds like a good start, I’ll start there for adding to my reading list. Thanks, cheers!

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Significant_Ant_2607 t1_j27jwy5 wrote

It's more complicated than that, as you may expect that it would be.

In the documentary, Clemmons says he was spotted going to gay bars, and Rogers confronted him about it because in that era, being spotted in a gay bar would mean the show would be cancelled and that was bad for the children. Rogers basically ordered Clemmons to be more discrete or he couldn't be on the show anymore.

But Clemmons also says that he eventually came to understand Rogers' message of "I love you just the way you are" was specifically aimed at Clemmons directly -- that it was Rogers way of saying he loved and accepted Clemmons including his homosexuality as a natural and okay part of who he was, and that Rogers confirmed that's exactly what he meant to Clemmons directly.

So Clemmons seemed to have ended things on a positive note with Rogers.

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hubbyofhoarder t1_j28f29u wrote

Clemmons talks about both the gay bar thing, and about realizing what "I love you just the way you are" meant in the documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor". The whole movie is worth watching, but man, someone was cutting onions in the theater during the segment Clemmons was talking.

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