plished by them in groups comprised of homosexuals and heterosexuals.

Dr Baker has lectured for many college, University, Mental Health and Family Relations groups, a section of UNESCO, and the Daughters of Bilitis. She wrote an impressive introduction to Helen Branson's Gay Bar, now being quoted in legal briefs. More recently she was one of the professional members of a two-hour panel discussion of homosexuality broadcast by the courageous listener sponsored FM station, KPFA, in Berkeley, California, which received widespread newspaper publicity.

It is our hope that this column will fill a long-felt need and be of genuine service to the thousands of readers of ONE Magazine.

Board of Directors,

Board of Directors ONE Incorporated

It is with a deep sense of dedicated responsibility that I accept your invitation to conduct the column "Toward Understanding" in ONE Magazine. I can think of no more worthwhile way to invest what wisdom I have acquired in nearly twenty years of an eclectic psychiatric practice. Long ago I learned that I can do my best work with those who have the courage to ask for help and genuinely want to help themselves. Thus, through the medium of this column, I trust that I may be able to shed some light into the gloom of fear, shame, guilt, disgust and lack of self confidence which surround the lives of all too many homophiles at the present time.

My approach is positive. I insist that homosexuals are people, too. Within their ranks function every conceivable type of human being. Attempts to describe a "typical" homosexual are laughable. There is but

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one common bond-they prefer their own sex as a love object, a matter of personal taste. Thus I regard homosexualism as a way of life and not a disease in any sense. I agree with the late Dr. Alfred Kinsey that homosexuality is one of our mammalian heritages, appearing widespread in the general population as a matter of individual variation. Laws which speak about "the unspeakable crime against nature" are completely irrational and indicate quite clearly that the ancient lawmakers didn't know their biology! When viewed in this light, homosexuality is not something to be "cured" but rather something to be understood and accepted.

One of the major factors in understanding homosexuality is to clarify our knowledge of sex in general. It is regrettable that all too many people think of sex in terms of an absolute dichotomy: men are male and women are female. Only a very little observation reveals that all of us are varying mixtures of maleness and femaleness both physically and psychologically. In reality there seems to be a complete gradiant from heterosexuality through homosexuality including bisexuality. This is confusing. Conventional society tends to condemn those it does not understand. Thus, the homophile, if he accepts the rejection of society within which he lives, may fail to live up to the abilities he has. People who feel rejected often express their feelings in various undesirable ways. I look upon many of the objectionable traits of the "swish" type of homosexual as a neurotic retaliation. When such hurt individuals come to understand themselves better they can change and become much more happy and adjusted in society. My stress is on self acceptance to learn to appreciate who and what you are and how to release your very own unique cre-