port the Convention to various police agencies on the ground that he had tried to railroad a change in the Preamble by intimidation. Someone moved that the Convention dissolve and reconvene the better to change the Preamble. Another suggested that the Mattachine Society stood on the principles of the Preamble and that those who had joined had done so with full knowledge of the Preamble. "If there are those who now disagree with the Preamble the basic principles of the Society -," he said, "it is for them to withdraw and form whatever organization they choose. The Mattachine stands on its Preamble." The Screams of the Living

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Parliamentary procedure was abandoned. The Chairman, unwilling to consider the original motion for expulsion, gladly used the opportunity to let everyone speak on any issue they chose and thus reinforce his reputation for "fairness." An honest and conscientious chapter chairman rose to protest the change in the Preamble, although he did not himself agree with it. "When I have admitted people to my chapter," he said, "I have read the Preamble and asked them if they believed in it. How can I now go back and say, I voted to change the principles in which YOU have affirmed your belief?""

Delegates pointed out to the chair that the question of change in Preamble was something quite new-not presented for discussion in the chapters prior to the Convention-a matter which should go back to the membership as a recommendation for action at the next Convention. A duly constituted delegate roseto speak against the motion to change the Preamble, and his vote was challenged by the "informer" before-mentioned. The Chairman asked for an opinion from the delegate's chapter chairman.

It happened that elimination of this particular source of opposition had been planned between the Convention Chairman and the Chapter Chairman during

one

the intermission, and the delegate's own chairman denied that he was a delegate.

The delegate was not allowed to speak. A commotion arose, and the Chairman, weary of this unpleasantness, first threatened, then called for a long intermission. "I Was Naughty"

But first a delegate from the Bay Area rose to plead for love and affection among the delegates. Exactly what love the conflicting economic and social interests were likely to engender was not explained. Then the Chairman asked for a prayer which was duly delivered.

The plea for affection (or was it the dinner, the lateness of the hour, the unpleasantness of the previous session or a complete lack of understanding of the issues involved?) did its work, for the delegates returned to hear an apology from "the informer." He failed to promise that he would give up the practice of squealing to the cops in the future and haughtily declined to answer when asked this question by one of the delegates. A motion to change the Preamble was immediately entered and passed by an overwhelming majority. Then it was also rapidly agreed to avoid aggressive legal action and to strive for assimilation into the dominant culture (assimilation even before integration!). Thus satiated the Convention adjourned with the determination to move forward to even greater achievements at its next gathering. As one unhappy delegate put it, "The Mattachine has gone militantly on record in favor of the heterosexual majority!"

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To this writer things look bad for the organized homosexual in the coming period, but not hopeless. Happily, these scared, little people these summer soldiers presently leading the Mattachine do not represent the homosexual minority nor do they speak in the spirit of the Mattachine Movement. That minority and that spirit will presently find their own answers through other channels and in other directions than the "New Mattachine" is leading them.

David L. Freeman

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