me we are being made to feel sorry for ourselves. Correspondents express righteous indignation at the shameful way in which we are being persecuted, and then do nothing about it.
I think more than anything else you should make us aware of how WE the readers are falling down in our own behavior and lack of concern. You should suggest ways by which we may help to improve the homosexual community. You should make us realize that the problem of our relation to society as a minority group will not improve one iota until we ourselves do something constructive about it.
You are not helping us by patting us on shoulder and consoling us, and arousing self-pity and righteous indignation within us. Rather, you should challenge us to stand up and get going.
Dear Mr. Slater:
Mr. F.
Montreal, Quebec
You have been bravely carrying a torch with a single purpose, but a vast majority of subscribers and advertisers can't do that. The majority still have to hide, or think they have to hide their copies, and would not dare be seen buying or reading a magazine labelled homosexual, right out loud like ONE does.
Label it "A Collection of Creative Writing, and not mention homo on the cover, the masthead, or as a policy, because it scares off desperately-needed purchasers, subscribers, supporters and dollars. Let it be unembarrassing to homos.
Dear Mr. Pedersen:
Mr. C.
San Diego, California
The general public will never care particularly whether homosexuals are being treated fairly; it may be moved to action, however, if it can be made to realize that it too suffers in a very real degree from the corrosive effect of the infringement of any group's rights.
Your organization is also in the peculiar position that as long as support can be equated with admission, you will not receive the support from the homosexual group to which you are entitled.
ONE, like any organization, will stagnate unless its ambitions are continually raisedbetter stories, better articles, better everything, until the appeal is not merely to homosexuals but to the entire portion of our population that is interested in the significant actions and thoughts of all groups.
Gentlemen:
Mr. S.
Chappaqua, New York
I have been earnestly trying to communicate a viewpoint to you but you don't seem
to dig me. Your whole operation is off on the wrong tactics and strategy. You are trying to make an adjustment and compromise that will not work. Your whole direction is towards making life more tolerant, reasonable and pleasant for homosexuality as it is. You want to say, in terms of relative morality, "We have just as much right to conduct our personal, private sex lives as you do. You have your place; we have a right to our place. Let's be fair. Let's be just. Why must you be so mean? Pretty please be nice. We will be good boys, we promise."
You have simply got to stop going around like weak sisters, or like a snake crawling on its belly, and stand up like men and fight. Solution of the population explosion rests only with homosexuals. Heterosexuality cannot solve heterosexuality any more than fire can put out fire.
After thirty years of, "Please, please . . . you might get minor changes of no consequence in the laws. Perhaps it is hopeless, you weak, nellie swishes haven't got enough guts to stop trying to say "Pretty please" to heterosexuals and to start fighting them instead.
Mr. G.
San Francisco, California
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