tangents

news & views

by dal mcintire

Announcement rec'd. from a group with Hdq. in Georgia calling itself HOMOSEXUALS ANONYMOUS or H.A., somewhat like Alcoholics Anonymous. "We in H.A. are men and women who have discovered, and admitted, that we cannot control homosexuality in our lives. We are not reformers, seeking to obliterate the practice from the earth, but some of us have learned that we must live without it if we are to avoid disaster for ourselves and those close to us.

This reporter has never been convinced that a rational approach to homosexual problems must lead the individual to disaster, yet this sort of program of homosexuals banding together for mutual moral support to resist their sex impulses, could be a priceless test of whether such an approach is workable at all Maybe it's a poor bet. But I'd like to see H.A. play it to the hilt, and keep accurate records while they're at it, so that a few years from now we can say one way or another, whether homosexuals can successfully resist their homosexuality by will power and moral suasion. Meanwhile, it would really be sporting if a group of heterosexuals would try the same experiment.

The announcement mentions plans for an Annual Conference in 1960

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and says the group has autonomous local groups in many communities, with no formal organization and no governing officers... no dues nor fees of any kind." They offer reprints of two articles: "What We Have Learned About Homosexuality" and "Ten Suggested Steps of H.A. for Each 24 Hour Period." They are, they state, in no way affiliated with A.A., tho the experiences of that organization "have been invaluable to us in formulating our policies."

While it wasn't publicized, there was an A.A. chapter that dealt exclusively with homosexual alcoholics. We'll watch the progress of H.A. with interest-meanwhile, we'd like to know more about them.

5th ANNUAL MATTACHINE MEET

For first time since ONE's founding, we didn't have an observer at the Mattachine Society's Annual Convention, held this time in New York. Featured speakers included Atty. Kenneth Zwerin of SF, Miss Fannie Hurst, Dr. Theodore S. Weiss, the Rev. C. Edw. Egan, Sr., and Judge Morris Ploscowe, author of "Sex and the Law," whose talk seems to have been the high point. Representatives of the Lesbian group, Daughters of Bilitis, were