now recognized, at least by sophisticated clinicians, that no action a person takes and enjoys can ever lead to neurosis unless he or she feels guilty about it." As for psychotherapy, he goes on to say, "I know of not one single validated instance of any basic sexual change ever having been accomplished." LESBIANS MAKE

THE SCENE AGAIN

For two successive weeks, beginning 7-11-65, THE NATIONAL INSIDER, a lurid Chicago tabloid, gave lesbians front-page billing. The 7-11 issue concerned the Daughters of Bilitis, a national organization interested in the personal welfare and the social and legal rights of lesbians, whose New York City office was visited by the INSIDER.

Like ONE and the Mattachine, the "D.O.B.'s" were born in California, in the early 1950's and ONE has always had friendly ties with both organizations. The D.O.B. spokesman in New York, identified by the INSIDER only as "Miss X", described their efforts in behalf of lesbians in about the same terms ONE uses to state its own purposes in behalf of homophiles of both sexes. Like ONE, they are involved with programs of social service, education, research, and publishing (THE LADDER, a monthly magazine). After describing some of their research projects, Miss X remarked, "A group of New York clergymen has formed a panel to study lesbianism, too. Every faith except Catholics and Orthodox Jews are approaching us with an open mind. Although they apparently do not accept men as members and co-workers in their organization (ONE welcomes both men and women members), they are not averse to fraternizing with men in social affairs. "You should have

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seen our last social," said Miss X. "We invited the local chapter of the Mattachine Society, the organization for male homosexuals, and we danced and had a real good time. You wouldn't have noticed that this was not just a regular group of people. There were even three male cabdrivers among our guests. Can you imagine anybody less feminine than a cabdriver?" (Suggestions, anyone?)

Less educational and certainly more sensational is the INSIDER's 7-18 expose, titled "I Lived In A Lesbian Hell." This is merely the first installment of a serialized story reportedly by a glamorous film star, who claims to have spent some time in the "Lesbian Hell" of Terminal Island Federal Prison. "Even now I shudder as I think back on the twenty-seven months | spent (there)," her story begins, ". . . for this place was crawling with Lesbians. I actually believe that many of them got themselves arrested on purpose, just so they could go there. Some of them had been in and out five or six times. They were allowed to have their hair cut exactly like a man's right there in the institution's beauty shop. They were allowed to wear government surplus combat boots and Army surplus leather jackets and khaki pants . . . Can you imagine the effect these masculine females had on women who hadn't seen a man in maybe five years?" An interesting question. ONE also reflects that it is relatively difficult for a woman to land in prison for lesbian behavior, so that if there are so many "butch" lesbians in prison, presumably for other offenses, this suggests that female homosexuality may have a higher incidence among the female population generally than the 6.5-10% commonly cited. Clearly, much more statistical work is needed in this direction.