there with financial backing which they would provide. Apparently when the people at ONE learned of this their action was swift, even brutal. In so doing they showed themselves to be considerably tougher and rougher than the Mattachine people had been in their own crisis. The attempted coup was foiled and so New York was still without any organized homophile

activities.

ONE "MAKES LAW"

The coup experience may have helped the people at ONE to cope with the next challenge which soon confronted them, and this time it was the U. S. Government. The Los Angeles Postmaster had seized and held an issue of ONE Magazine late in 1954, alleging it to be obscene. ONE's suit against him, and so against the entire U. S. Postal Service, took four years to move on up to the U. S. Supreme Court. There they won a unanimous decision in their favor that is now a

legal classic. For the first time in this country homosexuality could be freely discussed in print. It was a Homophile Organization which had forced the issue and established a precedent.

Today the Homophile Press is talking quite a bit about picketing by homophiles in front of the White House, the United Nations and Independence Hall. The reports seem to imply that this struck some great blow for homophile freedom, and there is much mention of how the pickets dressed. themselves. We are told less about their specific accomplishments than about those white shirts and ties. It might be wondered if these enthusiasts are aware that a U. S. Supreme Court decision creates "case law" which is binding upon the Courts of all the States. It is as if all of the legislatures had in that particular matter acted favorably. ONE had therefore made law which now gave the Homophile Movement legal stature in the courts.

8

WHO IS LEGITIMATE?

Back to Mattachine problems again, these seem to have continued without much letup. If we put aside all effort to cover up the difficulty, one is hard put to interpret it as other than a continuing tussle between the head office in San Francisco and the growing New York Area Council as to who was boss. The situation in 1961 became so intolerable that the Sociey's officers voted to end their effort to maintain their far-flung Area Councils. These were told of the decision and invited to choose new names for themselves, if they should wish to continue their activities further.

All except New York were prompt in complying. The Boston Demophils are still active and the Philadelphia Janus Society now issues the fledgling magazine Drum. Although an honorable minority of the New York membership protested the action, a bold declaration was issued that "We shall continue to be called the Mattachine

Society, Inc. of New York." Afterward similar groups were formed in Washington and Philadelphia.

Depending on who is telling it: (1) The East Coast groups had a perfect right to keep the name Mattachine and San Francisco had no right to order otherwise; (2) these "separated brethren" may in time recognize their mistake and return to the fold, a view sometimes heard from those who try to pour oil on troubled waters; (3) there is but one legitimate Mattachine Society (having authorized affiliates in Chicago and Miami) and its offices are in San Francisco. No other "exists."

This latter is the quixotic position. officially taken by the ONE people. While it seems to be a morally defensible attitude it unavoidably results in the same sort of problems the United Nations confronts with Red China or other de facto situations.

No immediate solution of the Mat-