BOOKS

THE FIRST KNOWN BOOK OF ITS KIND..

Homosexuals Today--1956

HOMOSEXUALS TODAY-1956. A handbook of homophile organizations and publications, edited by Marvin Cutler and puolished oy One, Inc., Los Angeles. 196 pages, illustrated. Reviewed oy Wes Knight, San Francisco.

In many ways the main value of this work lies in its importance as a pioneering work, for it is just that: The first publication to include a comprehensive survey of homophilic organizations, their histories and. publications. Its editors have attempted to deal with a very large subject, indeed, although virtually nothing of this subject is known to the U.S. public generally today. Owing to the extreme secrecy and the caution with which groups working to assist the homosexual are usually formed, would be researchers find it hard to obtain verifiable documentary material upon the subject. Consequently, as might be expected, more detailed descriptions are given of the American organizations past and present-which the writers were able to investigate personally.

The measure

of European and Asiatic organizations is principally given in terms of the periodicals they issued and extracts from them. Furthermore, the situation varies considerably in each and every overseas country. It ranges from the almost complete lack of any sort of organizational attempts in the Latin culto the tures to the 24-year-old Swiss magazine, Der Kreis, complicated legal situation in Germany and cold disapproval in Norway. To discuss the background and nature of the attitudes of each country dealt with would mean a separate volume broad scope for each, perhaps, but this book has covered the with commendable detail.

A most important aspect of "Bomosexuals Today" is the fact that this is the first time any homophile group has attempted to compile any sort any sort of survey for the record of the general situation. Some criticism, perhaps, might be made that the

mattachine REVIEW

editors, who were well acquainted with the origins of the Mattachine movement in its initial period (1948-1950) and during the period it was organized as a foundation (1950-1953), gave more than adequate space and emphasis to the "early days" and in many respects less to that which has happened since.

However, the Mattachine section covers 52 pages-more than were devoted to the sections on One, Inc., and all other past and present homophile groups in the U. S. While there may be some persons who may criticize the briefness of some topics, and an apparent alanting of opinions in others, no fair-minded reader can possibly deny the importance of this book, nor can he fail to respect the efforts of its editors in fulfilling a long-felt need.

Persons named in the book, it appears safe to predict, are now "among the counted." Whether homophile or not. Who dares

to hazard a guess about what kind and how much publicity this volume may ultimately be responsible for? Not this writer. Be only hopes that all publicity about homosexuality in the futare will be as constructive as this second work published by One, and that the minority it speaks for will become as responsible individually and collectively as the public service organizational efforts in the world today which are outlined in "Homosexuals Today."

Well-Meant Assistance

Sexual Offenders and Social Punishment: Compiled and edited by Derrick Sherwin Bailey, Phd.D. The Church House. Wesminister, S. W. London, England. 99 cents. 1956. Reviewed by Jack Parrish, San Francisco.

In January, 1952, Dr Derrick Shern Bailey, the Study Secretary of the Church of England Moral Welfare Council, was asked by the edi tor of the magazine Theology to discuss the problem of sexual inversion for them in an article He did so. The response was so great that he felt compelled to discuss it at a meeting of the Council. As a result. the Council's Education Committee approved the calling together of a

group of doctors, clergymen, and lawyers to undertake, privately and unofficially, a full investigation of the problem

An interim report was published in the early part of 1954, owing to the need for material to be presented as an aid for discussion of the subject in the Houses of Commons and Lords. Doctor Bailey, who had been asked as a member of the group to study the Biblical and historical aspects of the problem, found that it could not be done justice in the brief space of an essay, and dealt with it in a full-length book Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition, which was published in April, 1955.