THE INVISIBLE SOCIETY

by

Carol Bradford

"I wanna go down to the Village and look at the ducks," said a childhood friend of mine on a recent first visit to New York. Thinking naturally of Central Park, I questioned, "ducks?" "You know," she giggled embarrassedly, "Those girls."

Even over the laughter of the moment, I thought what a frightening thing it is that our society of "ducks," dykes, or lesbians, as you wish, is represented to the general unknowing society as unemployed dungaree-clad "truck-driver" transvestites who prey on the emotional problems of otherwise hetersexual

women.

I have, at one time or another, lived in most of the major cities in this country and know, as you do, that at least 85% of the successful career women in each of these cities are lesbians. They are respected by their professional contemporaries, revered by their communities, envied by the suburban housewives, and courted by all available bachelors. Probably not one in five is suspected of what society terms perversion.

Yet because of their unobtrusive personal lives, they are not, as they

one

should be representing the criterion of lesbianism. They cannot, because the low rate of understanding among the general public would jeopardize their jobs and livelihoods.

And yet, to allow the public image to remain that of the bar-cruising bull-dyke, is forfeiting our own selfrespect and certainly not leading society into any better understanding of lesbianism as a whole.

In some respects I am thankful for the crude exposition articles printed by the slander magazines. They have, even though done in bad taste, at least notified John Q. Public that such a thing exists. . . and exists among the very people who are their idols.

This has created a growing interest among the heterosexual world in homosexuality as a whole. The curiosity of the normal male is especially aroused, I think, by the possibility of attractive and exciting women who do not find him so. The attitude of the male who finds a women is a lesbian, generally is to "show her what a man really is." This triples the thrill of hopeful conquest. Their attitude is not by any means accept-

10