tangents

news & views

by dal mcintire

A reader recently got the following "chain letter," anonymously sent, as such things generally are, and claiming to be the fifteenthousandth in a series:

"The time has come for all gay people to organize. For years gay people have attempted the feat of being accepted by society. For years. they have made us believe we are a minority and treated us as an oddity of nature. There is enough of us to create our own society. Groups. of 50 and 100 are forming here and there across the country. They are creating brotherhoods whose common goal is making the gay people a world influence. They help each other to become financially able by pooling their resources. They have started their own religion in many cases. When there are enough of them they hire a lawyer by the year. All communication between the groups is done by chain letters that are numbered. This way they pass laws, elect people, etc. For their benefit. Also. They are a secret society and silence is a must. Whenever someone does anything against another member a chain letter is sent mentioning what he done. They patronize only gay places of business whenever possible. In short by organizing in small groups and working together within these groups and across the nation as a whole we find the security in a society that we

one

have tried to long to find. Please send a copy of this letter to all your personal friends. A member."

Such muddle-headed idiocy might, a few years ago, have been good for a laugh and a passing wistful "if only something like that could be . . ."But today, American homosexuals actually have a number of responsible, and quite public, organizations. Such cloak-and-dagger stuff constitutes a threat to the gains that have been painfully accumulated in the last decade. The general tactics still have to be evolved for organizationally meeting the problems facing homosexuals in this country, but while we no longer wait for our difficulties to be solved by charitable handouts from a few liberally inclined heterosexuals, we have learned that all this conspiratorial business is a costly diversion, and the flatulent dreams of world power are frankly dangerous.

I can't understand the mentality behind "chain letters," or how they are supposed to accomplish any purpose. The authorities generally regard them as "rackets." Don't know if this one is, but I would advise readers to steer clear . . . .

GAY INFLUENCE

The aforegoing aimed at making "the gay people a world influence."

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