with Federal practices and he pointed out that presently there are many cases where persons accused of homosexual acts are not entitled to due process of law. Hal Witt and David Carliner, Chairman of the National Capital Area Civil Liberties Union and Member of the Bar, D.C., joined the above lawyers for a legal panel discussion moderated by Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, President of the Mattachine Society of Washington. In the course of the discussion Mr. Witt commented that homosexuals ought to "stand up to be counted," that's to say, they ought to allow people to see them as responsible members of the community and also as homosexuals. A question from the floor asked if it is necessary for homophile groups to wait until someone gets into trouble to test the law. It was generally agreed by the panel that cases in which the government is made the defendant are an effective means of testing the laws but that few homosexuals have the courage or the means to initiate this to initiate this type of action. Dr. Kameny asked if a board of several lawyers working on a major case would be effective and the panel agreed that it would be. Dr. Kameny then asked if the lawyers present would be willing to discuss the formation of such a board of lawyers and the development of a test case. After the fashion of lawyers, the answer from the panel was somewhat less definite on this question but most members agreed that they would consider participation on such a board.

A cocktail hour and banquet concluded the official activities for the day. This provided an excellent opportunity for the participants in the conference to get together and exchange ideas on an informal basis. At the banquet two citations were read; one to Representative Dowdy for being the public official who had done the most to help the homosexual

one

cause in the last year. The citation was delivered in absentia and was intended to point out that the attention which Dowdy caused to be called to the homosexual question lead to a great deal of serious thinking about the problem. Life Magazine was cited for its June 26th article on homosexuality. David Carliner delivered the banquet address but added little to what had already been said earlier in the day.

Sunday got under way with a rather expensive "brunch" ($1.50 for coffee and pastry). There was an informal debate scheduled between Dr. Kameny and Dr. Kurt Konietzko, Ph.D., Sociologist and Member of the Philadelphia Parole Board, titled "Homosexuality: Legislation vs. Education" following the brunch but Dr. Konietzko was delayed by a train wreck. Following this there was a religious panel discussion.

The religious panel discussion got started and Rev. Lewis, Minister of the River Road Unitarian Church; Father Harvey, Instructor in Moral Theology, DeSalles Hall, Maryland; Rev. Hawthorne, Director of the Washington Counselling Service, Foundry Methodist Church; Rabbi Lipman, Rabbi, Temple Sinai; Rev. Martin, Minister of the Church of the Holy City (Swededborgian); and Rev. Marshall, Minister of the Davies Memorial Unitarian Church discussed the alienation of the homosexual from the religious community. It was generally agreed that homosexuality is something like a sickness and as such cannot be considered sinful in itself but that homosexual acts are sinful. In counselling homosexuals it was felt that the first attempt must be toward conversion to heterosexuality and only when this is impossible may an adjustment to homosexual life be considered. Rabbi Lipman pointed out that nonOrthodox Judaism is essentially a system of law which reflects the social

28