READERS write

Letters from readers are solicited for publication in this regular monthly department. They should be short and all must be signed by the writer. Only initials of the writer and the state or country of residence will be published. Opinion expressed in published letters need not necessarily reflect that of the REVIEW or the Mattachine Society. No names of individuals will be exchanged for correspondence purposes. carefully selected and their views are quite dogmatic. But even the outspoken

COMMUNICATIONS TO OTHERS

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The following letter was sent to Time by Bergler is cautious enough to say "the a man from Tucson.

Sir: Hardly anyone needs to be told that homosexuality is an incredibly difficult and delicate subject even for an expert to analyze and discuss and that the intense emotional reaction it arouses should cause those who write on the subject to do so as clearly and carefully as possi ble without sensationalism, dogmatism, or misrepresentation.

Your movie reviewer in his little essay on "The Victim" (p. 102, Feb. 23), start ed out well enough but became rather too emotional by the end-"perversion" and "sodomite" are color words lacking precise meaning in law and medicine and are more effective in expressing a personal condemnation than in evaluating a con troversial subject. Why point out that the homosexuals portrayed in the film dress and speak well and appear to be sensitive and kind persons? Is this impossible? Did the movie err because it did not ste reotype their dress, speech, and manners? It may be well to remember that the ob vious or "swishy" homosexuals are like the fraction of the iceberg visible above the water. Is it "wrong" for the non-obvious ones to be portrayed in their own way?

But my major criticism is the manner in which the reviewer ignores current medical, psychiatric, and psychological disagreements on the subject of homosex uality. If he chooses to make pronouncements, he should be honest and reason ably accurate in his statements-other wise he should omit them. (Indeed, why should a movie review so concern itself with passing a particular judgment under the guise of scientific findings?) There is most assuredly among the experts nothing resembling agreement on either the causes of the cure of homosexuality. If the cause is not known with any degree of scientific certainty, then similarly the cure is also less than completely known. It is true a few specialists (e.g., Bergler and Ellis) state strongly that a cure is possible. However, from their writings one might suspect their cases have been

prognosis of analytical treatment of the homosexual is a favorable one provided the patient really wants to change, mistakes in the selection of cases are avoided, and treatment penetrates to the deep masochistic layers of the unconscious." (Rather extensive reservations!) The views of others range from reasonable optimism to downright pessimism. (Cf. Freud in his letter of 1935, Karl Bowman, Blanche Baker, Harry Benjamin, W. L. Neustatter, George W. Henry, Donald West, Fred Brown and Rudolph Kempton, Clifford Allen, Desmond Curran and Denis Parr, Mary Wood, the authors of the Wolfenden Report-the list could go on and on.) What is more, the experts do not agree on what a "cure" means-for a few it means a complete (or near complete) change in the direction of sexual preference; for many it means a better adaptation of the homosexual to his way of life and to society in general; and for some. it seems to mean merely the exercise of greater degree of continence or selfcontrol.

Now I consider it quite unkind and mis. leading to say that the homosexual "neurosis" is "often curable" without stating what is meant by neurosis and curable. I should think most readers would think of curable in terms of disease and consequently would be likely to draw conclusions that are not wholly valid or fair. Most responsible persons would urge most heartily that homosexuals should be encouraged to seek treatment and aid, but they would be deluding themselves and tragically misleading homosexuals if they believed there is anything resembling an easy or sure cure for any large number of persons. In my opinion the hope for the future lies more in prevention than in

cure.

If the movie reviewer has specific factual data-though everything I have read

stresses the lack of accurate statistical

I would

data and especially the lack of follow-up data on treated homosexuals greatly appreciate the references so that I can correct my ignorance, and put this new information to use in my own work.

mattachine REVIEW

EDITOR'S NOTE: Does the "hope for the future" really lie in "prevention", all told?

The following letter was addressed to Mr. Walter T. Winter, attorney of San Fran cisco, who recently appeared on the Paul Coates TV show in Los Angeles for two consecutive interviews as attorney for the

Mattachine Society.

DEAR MR. WINTER: I am writing to thank you for your presentation on Mr. Paul Coates' program. I am very interested in learning more of your efforts and in join ing your society. It seems quite apparent that because a certain area seems generally repugnant to society, this does not make it any the less real.

I feel surely more needs to be brought out into the open and hazy points need to be clarified. Greater understanding through greater knowledge seems an answer and I would like to help achieve this goal. -Mrs. K. W., California.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mrs. W. sure hit the nail on the head in that last paragraph.

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The following telegram was sent to the American ambassador to the Netherlands by a Dutch citizen.

As a Dutch homosexual I am very im pressed at the way in which my like-minded are treated in the U.S.A. The witchhunting which seems to be reopened and the kind of provocation to catch these people in a civilized nation is unworthy and contrary to real democracy. Homosexuality is not a basis for judging someone. I trust the responsible persons will seek better information and become more adult. Mr. Drabbe, Utrecht.

DANCING & KISSING

cized short supply) in connection with some of the vice squad's activities, I had a highly informative and interesting 21⁄2 hour chat with the head of the vice squad. In the course of this conference, I asked him (knowing that there was no prohibition in the District Code) what their feeling was on men dancing with men. His reply was: "We have no objection as long as nothing vulgar takes place." Clarification of the term "vulgar" indicated that he referred to so-called "groping".

Kissing: In March, 1960, I volunteered to appear as a witness for the defense in a case involving a so-called "disorderly house" (a gay club here in the District). In the course of my testimony, I engaged in a somewhat spirited discussion with. the judge (of the Municipal Court of DC) which left it quite clear that kissing be. tween men is also perfectly legal.

This was also brought out by the attorney for the defense, who dealt, in addition, with gay dancing. The issue was not raised nor was the assumption of the legality of such dancing and kissing questioned by the prosecution, the judge, or other District officials, at the time, leaving one to conclude that they did not question the legality of such activities. While people in Washington are probably no less reticent in these matters than those elsewhere in this country (and, I feel, needlessly so, and to their detri ment), the fact remains that these acts are clearly and unquestionably NOT illegal, disorderly, or otherwise officially and formally objectionable here.

May I suggest that requests to the courts brought either by individuals affected directly, or by interested citizens (on any number of possible bases, including waste and misuse of the taxpayers' money) for injunctions against the appropriate authorities, prohibiting such ac tions, might also serve you well whether or not the injunctions were granted. -Mr. F. E. K., D.C.

REVIEW EDITOR: I have had occasion to peruse, very briefly and very hurriedly, the September (1961) issue of the Matta CABBAGES AND KINGS............. chine REVIEW. I note that you discuss here, in connection with some San Francisco police actions, the question of gay dancing and kissing. For what it may pos sibly be worth to you, I thought that you might be interested in the situation in Washington, D.C.

Dancing: In November, 1959, as a result of writing a rather firm letter (as a taxpayer and citizen) to the Chief of Police, protesting the wanton waste of the taxpayers' money and the frivolous mis use of police manpower (in much-publi-

REVIEW EDITOR: Have any studies been made or books written about the latent homosexual? What are the causes of a man being latent up to his forties or fifties, then suddenly or gradually becom ing aware that he is a homosexual? Does this sort of thing come from some sort of emotional block or what? Since latency was a problem of this writer up to his middle fifties, he would very much like to know the answers to problems of this sort if any are available.