EDITORIAL

On several occasions in recent months ONE has had the privilege of being able, in its various features, to call the attention of its readers to apparent changes in public attitudes toward homosexuality as reflected in books, movies, revisions of penal codes and so forth. In pointing out these developments ONE has referred to them, in general, as significant indications of the progress being made in the struggle for the legal and social emancipation of the homosexual.

There have indeed been meaningful and important changes and it is not our wish nor intention to belittle them now, but we do feel that before any of us begin thinking that the battle has been won we should stop for a few moments of sober appraisal and attempt to view these changes and developments in their proper perspective.

It is quite true that ONE, as has been pointed out, can today publish with impunity material which only a few years or even months ago we would not have dared to publish. It is equally true that the movies, the stage, magazines and newspapers-even television and radio-now refer openly to homosexuality and exploit homosexual themes which they would not have dared or cared to touch not so long ago. This would appear to have considerable significance, and perhaps it does. But it is equally true that these same media are discussing all sexual matters with a tremendously increased frankness. Today the movies and, particularly, television which in just this season has been proudly announcing and presenting "adult" drama, are unblushingly dealing with sexual problems-heterosexual in the main, of course-with a frankness which judged by even comparatively recent standards is downright shocking. Sex has, to be sure, long been standard fare for these media, but it has usually been presented only in its most generalized, impersonal and prosaic aspects. Now, these same media are beginning to explore the specific aspects of man's total sexuality as it is experienced by and as it affects the individual man.

The question, we feel, that we must ask ourselves, therefore, is whether the developments we have pointed out reflect any real change in majority attitudes toward homosexuality itself or whether they are but reflections of society's liberalized attitude toward the problems, or, more properly, the discussion of the problems, of man's sexual nature. Reluctantly we must say that we lean toward the latter explanation, for the fact is that we do not feel that the basic attitudes of society as a whole toward you and me as individuals has, as yet, changed very much. Caution on the part of the individual is still very much in order.

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