goals, both now and formerly, should not be overlooked for many have contributed to the changes we are witnessing today whom we should not forget.

For instance, an early and vigorous exponent of civil liberties for homosexuals was the "National Association for Sexual Research" organized in Los Angeles in 1954. This organization worked for around five years thereafter and held many fine meetings.

Part of its platform was "To directly aid in the correction and legislation of socially suitable and ethically enforceable laws for the governing of sexual behavior in the light of the findings of modern anthropology, sociology, physiology and psychology." While the militantly oriented methods of this organization did not to ONE's Membership seem to offer the most appropriate approach to a solution for the problems in question, still the National Association quite possibly was the first American homophile organization to function primarily with a program of civil rights objectives. It also may have been the earliest homophile "pressure group" in this country. Undoubtedly its work contributed measurably to the visible gains which we now are seeing.

Especially encouraging it is that "other" groups, such as the American Law Institute, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Councils on Religion and the Homosexual are now taking note of the question of civil rights for homosexuals, not only taking note but taking action as well. The Editors of ONE Magazine could have asked for no better launching for 1966 and the Magazine's fourteenth year than to have in hand the fine and forthright statement which follows.

GENERAL STATEMENT

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California believes that the right to privacy in sexual relations is a basic constitutional right. Each individual has the right to decide what kind of sexual practices he or she will or will not engage in, what techniques will be used, and whether or not a contraceptive should be used. Public regulation of sexual conduct should be concerned only with preventing rape and assault and the protection of minors.

DEFINITIONS

Rape, gross sexual imposition, corruption of minors, sexual assault, and indecent exposure are clearly and adequately defined by the proposed official draft of the American Law Insti-

tute section 213 on sexual offenses. Definition of minor is also set forth in this section.

ARGUMENT

What the proposed statement does is to make legal any kind of sexual behavior between consenting adults, as long as force or violence is not used. The most controversial aspect of this policy is to legalize homosexual conduct (used in its broadest sense to include transvestism, etc.) as long as minors are not involved and force is absent. Since this is the most controversial aspect of the statement, it might be well to give a general synopsis of the legal practices in the several states as far as homosexuality is concerned.

It should be made clear from the

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