EDITORIAL

The feature stories on "Homosexuality in America" appearing in Life (June 26) without any doubt mark something of a milestone in journalism. For breadth and scope they stand alone, at least by comparison with other articles dealing with homosexuality which have appeared in newspapers and magazines during recent decades.

Objections to this or that detail of Life's treatment have come in from readers. They have asked for ONE's opinion. We have felt that, taken as a whole, this feature has set new standards for frankness, good taste and a high degree of impartiality in the handling of a "hot topic." While it is not difficult to carp at a line here or a phrase there, may we not hope that the good old-fashioned "weirdo approach" will never again be thought possible by any responsible editor?

That homosexuality and the work of ONE, Incorporated should now have been presented to Life's vast readership should permanently silence those little people, of limited social experience themselves, who whine that "nobody has ever heard of ONE. . . nobody knows anything about its work," etc. The simple fact now is that, thanks to Life, many millions have been told that ONE is in the field.

Undeniably, however, the dismay and shock of those who read in Life that ONE Magazine, "the homosexual world's best selling magazine," has, after twelve years of the most vigorous efforts, a circulation numbering a few thousand, is understandable. Even more dismaying to some is the knowledge that while these few thousand buy ONE Magazine each month, only a fraction of that number are reading ONE Institute Quarterly, which is dedicated to serious and scholarly discussion of homosexuality, and barely five hundred individuals are actively supporting ONE's program through Membership.

How can we explain the discrepancy, between the great number of men and women who are homosexually oriented and the very small number who as yet have become actively associated with ONE? Is it because, as has often been suggested, ONE's publications just aren't good enough to merit attention? Is it because the program of ONE, Incorporated is so narrowly focussed as to attract very few persons? Numerous questions of this sort have been raised over the years, but are they not of the sort of snap judgment which is all too easy to toss off? Do they really explain the situation?

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