EDITORIAL

The other evening at a meeting as I sat listening to a speaker who had been stirringly introduced as a champion of the homosexual cause, I became increasingly disturbed by his repeated use of the pronoun "I." I have done this; I have done that; I shall do this; I shall do that; I promise this, and so on. As I sat listening, I found myself playing a game with the speaker: I calculated what he would say next from what he had said previously. It was easy. We had both read the same book. He followed the formula transparently.

Actually much of what this self-appointed apostle had to say was not true; nor was it new. But it sounded beautiful. As the popular speaker concluded, the audience rose to a standing ovation hungry listeners pressed around him. I heard somebody whisper, "This is a dangerous man. The people are applauding him not his ideas, not his platform, not his principles." I was reminded of the wisdom of the fathers of the Mattachine movement. They abided by a rule not to ever back a person or a candidate for a job or office. Instead they supported a man's platform or the issue he stood for. A nice distinction, this. The founders of Mattachine knew that men frequently change their positions because of one persuasion or another. It is especially true where the homosexual cause is concerned.

Every cause needs a spokesman. History is full of promising leaders; it is equally full of leaders who did not keep their promises. History records the folly of mankind as it insists on following men instead of their ideas. The homosexual cause is ripe for the opportunist. ONE has tried to educate the homosexual against relying upon the words of the first man to recite the ritual. Let him be taxed. Let him be tested. He may not honor his promises then; he may not even bother to respect his words, but may offer dozens of reasons and excuses for the disregard of his sworn duty.

The homosexual cause needs support. But that support should be given to issues not men. True, it is harder to believe in an issue than in someone. This is because it is so hard to learn the issues in the first place. It is much easier to delegate support to the champion and let him take care of the issues.

Homosexual men and women can in no way afford to be exploited. But if they are not to be, they must begin to observe how their functionaries carry out self-appointed duties not just for a day but over a period of years. Homosexuals must also be alert to a disposition in anyone to exceed the limits of their lawful powers. Each homosexual should try to find out what the issues involved are, and he should try to understand where he stands in relationship to the issues. Having done this he should then support those measures and those efforts that work toward the things he stands for.

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Don Slater, Editor