At a meeting of this committee held in ONE's offices at 2256 Venice Boulevard, a date was set for the first all-Los Angeles meeting. This took place from 9-5 on Saturday, June 26th at a quiet and beautiful home in the Hollywood hills, offered for that purpose by a Friend of ONE.

As it had been decided not to expand the group until plans were better developed approximately a dozen men and women worked with time out only for coffee breaks and a very brief lunch, to arrive at the decision to meet again in mid-July, and by then with a pretty good idea of the direction Los Angeles efforts might take.

The paragraphs above are reprinted from ONE Confidential (June & July, 1965).

Since the time of the events reported above further Los Angeles Council meetings have been held during July, August and September, each attended by several Members and Friends of ONE, as well as by clergymen interested in the project.

A remarkable spirit of sharing and dialogue has characterized all of the meetings, each "side" exhibiting complete frankness and friendliness. It has been a privilege for all those from ONE who have taken part to witness another breakthrough into sectors of the public community in which little true understanding of the homophile situation had previously existed or had even been sought.

Throughout each of the meetings those participating have been keenly aware of the great dearth of reference materials and texts to which those wishing to broaden their understanding of religion and the homosexual might turn.

In order to make a start at filling such a need a staff member of ONE Institute prepared a booklet of articles and other items, all of them on religion, clipped from copies of ONE Magazine and ONE Institute Quarterly. With the addition of a short preface and an Index, both of which are printed on pp. 17, 18 of this issue, this has been given to the clergymen for their use. So much more material has now come to light from both the Magazine and the Quarterly that it would be entirely possible to publish a complete book of very worthwhile material on religion and homosexuality.

Meanwhile, The Council on Religion and the Homosexual, Inc., of San Francisco, has issued a "Brief of Injustices" which is believed to be of such general interest that ONE Magazine has secured the Council's permission to reprint it as an article on the pages immediately following.

From all the above indications it would seem unarguable that the entire relationship between religion, the churches and homophiles already has entered a phase that but even a few months earlier, possibly a year or two, would have been thought quite out of the question.

Whether we each may be religiously inclined or not, certainly all can agree that the development of better understanding between religion and the homophile is a very important step forward, for so much antihomosexual feeling in the past has stemmed from religious groups and their leaders. It can be hoped that so fine a beginning shall prosper and continue.

Richard Conger, Editor

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