1957 MIDWINTER INSTITUTE & 5th Annual Meeting

Setting an all-time attendance record at each of the five sessions, ONE's annual midwinter meetings closed on Sunday afternoon, January 27, with the performance by one of Hollywood's Little Theater Groups of highlights from a new and unpublished play by James Barr. Applause for this exciting story of conflicts between a domineering mother and a homosexual son was spontaneous and long.

Among the interesting papers read at the other sessions was Dr. Albert Ellis' "How Homosexuals Can Combat Anti-homosexualism," to be printed in full in ONE Magazine. Henry Hay, folklore specialist, gave an introduction to the anthropological studies he has been making of the place of the homosexual in various early societies. J. B Tietz, attorney, of the American Civil Liberties Union, Southern California Branch, enumerated the various California sex laws and described their application by the courts, appeal cases tried, and enforcement practices of various police forces in the State.

One entire session was devoted to the work of ONE INSTITUTE, announced at last year's sessions and now in operation. Don Slater, Vice Chairman, gave the official statement of the Corporation in setting up what is believed to be the first university-level institution of its kind anywhere. Following an amusing, entertaining and most illuminating tape-recording, "Cross Fire from the Critics," prepared from the most zany remarks and writings of various clergymen, judges, police chiefs and other public officials, as well as choice excerpts from the books of Drs. Bergler, Caprio & Henry, a student-faculty panel gave ONE INSTITUTE'S answers to such aberrations. The student questions and faculty replies were framed to cover such questions as: Why have an institution devoted specifically to the study of homosexuality? What good can come of such study? What will it do for the student? Does the faculty know what it's talking about? What are the special courses of study at the INSTITUTE?

Portions of this panel-discussion will be published to allow those who were not present to judge for themselves on these points.

At the Annual Banquet, given in an old-time restaurant, long famous for its French cuisine, Dr. Blanche M. Baker, San Francisco psychiatrist, charmed her audience with frank and earthy accounts of her rich and varied practice, as she had done in previous INSTITUTE sessions, and introduced Mr. Gavin Arthur, of San Francisco. Mr. Arthur's cyclical theory, "The Circle of Sex," presented a picture of male and female sex habits quite different from the straight-line" theories which picture gradations from heterosexual to homosexual as being between polar opposites. His talk, spiced with many personal references to friends and acquaintances among the great and near-great in many lands, will be long remembered by those who filled the banquet room.

At the Annual Meeting of the Corporation, open only to Members and the "Friends of ONE," reports from every division and department were given, and business of the Corporation was transacted, including the election to Voting Membership of five men and women who have devoted long and faithful effort to the work of ONE. Also elected were Directors to serve for the next three years. Full reports of this meeting will appear only in ONE Confidential.