"

•

COULD swing an election.

Emotional and social maladjustment go together, but this is not God-given, innate, and absolute, in a set of standards. It is man-made by a plurality; the majority has itself created the minority. This minoity is on a psychological basis and is constantly in flux. This minority exists even though it is not on a physical level, such as the Negro.

If the homosexual is to be "cured", (question aside: so, who wants to be cured?) he must first learn whether or not heterosexuality is superior. 'Secondly, he must learn how the change of "cure" is to be attained. 'And finally, he must attempt the biggest step of all: He must re-adjust himself to heterosexual life. The primary question, however, is: Is the psychological make-up of the homosexual changeable? And if it is, should not the individual's own desire to change or not to change be accepted as a personal matter?

、

A homosexual attorney states that, as a group, attorneys who are homosexual are more conscious of what is wrong with the law. This is to be questioned. If it is true, the fact still remains that it is doubtful that individuals, working as such, can affect any noticeable change in the broad picture. As individuals, homosexuals are able to add some smail measure of assistane. Peoples interested enough in this problem to form a discussion group, however, tend to feel that the initial step is to gather and edit a body of positive ethics together with social feelings and attitude to present to the bodypublic. It must be remembered that we are now not even a recognized GROUP. If we were, such a recognition would lay a, base from which individuals could be helped. As it stands now, an individual by himself accomplishes little. When the attempt is made he is slapped down 26

because of lack of an organization behind him that can offer support. If this statement is questioned, then imagine an individual standing up before a group and, stating that he is a homosexual or that he is representative of homosexuals. Observe the general reactions. We need a body, an existing group, to which we may conform so that our contributions to society may be bettered because of our stability.

Those who are obviously homosexual in their actions need much more than sympathy, even though they might serve as temporary scapegoats behind which the lessobvous may hide. The obvious homosexual is every homosexual's brother, and his troubles and problems, especially those connected with the law, are the troubles and problems of all homosexuals. This brings us back to the concept of homosexuals constituting a minority, the individual members of which may be obvious or not. It logically follows, therefore, if only for purely selfish reasons, that all homosexuals should be concerned with the plight of the persecuted obvious. Even though the homosexuals who can be detected by heterosexuals are the basis of a generalized prejudice, it must be realized that they are a part of the whole minority of which we speak.

This however important it may be, is but another phase of the entire problem which has arisen: the acceptability of homosexuals to themselves with whatever their peculiarities, faults and imperfections, with recognition of each individual's potentials for adjustment and growth, and faith in what a person CAN be.' as well as the acceptability of homosexuals to a society-this problem must be resolved if "sweetness and light" is to be universal and culture is to be advanced.

REVIEW

THOUSANDS OF HOMOSEXUALS IN AMERICA FACE INWARD TERROR OF HEARING THEIR EMPLOYER SAY THESE TWO WORDS..

....

YOU'RE FIRED!"

....BUT DOES SUDDEN DISCHARGE OF A KNOWN HOMOSEXUAL SERVE ANY REAL AND USEFUL PURPOSE for SOCIETY?

By John Logan

●F ALL THE PROBLEMS which can

beset the homophile, the matter

f security in a job is often the most exing once an occasion arises hich brings about a dismissal.

To some employers, the accused ivert is an undesirable risk who hould be working somewhere else.

accused, the victim is regarded rst as guilty until he proves himelf innocent. Often he is fired sumarily or forced to resign the instant

·

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is Part II of a subject opened with an article by Robert Kirk, "Fair Employment Practices and the Homosexual, "April 1956 issue of the REVIEW. The dis.cussion concludes with a letter from an admitted invert who is unable to get a job when he bares his arrest record and is thereby recognized as a homosexual,

his sex character is questioned. Most bosses don't even wait until a court hearing.

On the other hand, a few astute business men have recognized (privately, of course) that many homosexuals, have outsanding talents, work habits, creative abilities, public relations aptitudes and a keen sense of salesmanship in a commercial world which requires it. Rarely it is learned, that some firms prefer to have such persons on their staffs.. But these business operations are few indeed in the average metropolitan area, and practically never found elsewhere.

Among homosexuals, learning that someone of the group has lost 27