S1E23 Paul Bateson

Welcome back to Shameful Nature.

Pride Month can be a beautiful thing.

It's a chance to connect with people who understand you, people who love like you, dress like you, and move through the world the way you do.

It's a time when you can let your guard down and feel safe in a crowd that feels like home.

But not everyone in the queer community has your best interests at heart.

Just because they have had to fight for their right to live free doesn't mean you won't have to fight them for your life.

Paul F. Bateson was one of those people.

While that name may not sound familiar, tens of millions of people have seen his face.

At their local theater, on their home TV sets, and over the last decade, millions more through social media.

In 1973, The Exorcist hit theaters.

It starred Ellen Burstyn as Chris McNeil, and a young Linda Blair as Reagan.

She was the girl whose demonic possession becomes the center of the story.

Before the priests arrive, doctors try to rule out medical causes for her behavior.

And that's where we see Paul Bateson.

In the hospital scene where Reagan undergoes medical tests, the technician assisting the doctor is Paul himself.

But I'm getting ahead of the story.

Let's talk about who Paul Bateson actually was.

Paul was born August 24, 1940, and grew up in Lansdell, Pennsylvania.

In the early 1960s, Paul had a stint in the army in West Germany.

It was during this time that he started drinking heavily.

He would struggle with alcoholism for most of his life.

In 1964, Paul Bateson was out of the Army and ready to leave Pennsylvania.

So he packed his bags and moved to New York City.

There, he started a relationship with the man.

Both men loved to drink, whether out at a bar, their home, or on Fire Island.