EDITORIAL

As editors of ONE Magazine we feel that we sustain an unusual relationship with our readers. The ordinary commercial magazine is edited on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. And there the matter ends. The readers of a commercial publication can properly be thought of as 'they' in the editorial office for they have no proprietary interest in the magazine. But at ONE the situation is quite different. In a real sense, the readers and the editors are 'we'. For ONE Magazine is the publication of a very special interest group 'the U. S. homosexual', and it has a sponsoring body, One Incorporated, with its dedicated program of work for the homosexual. Therefore, the readers may logically feel that the Magazine belongs to them. Most of our readers receive the Magazine with the same interest as they do the other aspects of the corporation. From the standpoint of the editors, this incipient feeling of proprietorship on the part of the readers is almost pure gain. We find ourselves working with what might be thought of as a captive audience. We know almost exactly who our readers are because we can picture their habits, interests, and impulses. For this reason we try to give special consideration in regard to editorial policy and planning. The contents of ONE are much more restricted than that of publications of more general appeal. We try to tailor the material to the particular interests of our readers. In some places, it is often necessary to provide for a hand-tooling, as it were, of much of the content to take care of the fact that most of our audience is reading with inside knowledge. But it is equally necessary to take care that our inside view does not result in an overly narrow outlook.

Beyond question, the subject of homosexuality and the homosexual has widely varied aspects and ramifications; the problems to be discussed are endless; the issues to be clarified are without number. It is the duty of ONE Magazine to give the homosexual confidence in himself and to teach him how to take his proper place in modern society. This is a large assignment.

The editors hope that the magazine speaks realistically about these matters always, with the cutting edge of its editorial policy unblunted. We hope that we have avoided the many pitfalls that come with editing in the 'we' rather than the 'they' frame of reference. It is our constant intention to speak for, not to, our readers. We also hope that none of our readers will take ONE Magazine for granted too easily.

Don Slater, Managing Editor

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