Calling

Shots

HOMOSEXUAL CONTACT AND VENEREAL DISEASE

The New York Post reports that spread of VD by homosexual contact was the most significant feature of the joint report issued recently by the American Social Health Association, the American Venereal Disease Association, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers.

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"Thirty-four states and forty-four cities reported homosexual VD as an important and increasing problem."

"Of 1,734 male syphilitics and contacts who were interviewed in New York, 51 per cent admitted homosexual contacts."

If these figures are to be interpreted accurately, it is necessary to isolate the various factors involved. As this is impossible to achieve under the scrutiny of those who demand chastity or monogamy of everyone, we can only surmise as to their meaning. They can indicate an increase of homosexual activity. Or they can mean that enough persons have gained enough faith in public medical facilities to presume

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Printed in U. S. A.

that they can be truthful in their confessions. There is no indication that "homosexuals" are more promiscuous than "heterosexuals," as this is one of those instances where persons cannot be so categorized. But they do indicate that many men are bisexual and that, as the statistics presumably refer to men, males are more promiscuous than females. So what's new?

Now this is a grave situation when studied in the context of the overall increase of venereal disease and it calls for a great deal of soulsearching in higher places than on street corners.

For years dedicated workers in some public health facilities have striven to create an atmosphere of mutual faith in which patients and contacts could be treated with as little embarrassment as possible, so that the disease could be terminated and that other persons exposed could 'be notified and treated. The object has been clearly that of reducing the incidence of venereal disease, and any clear-minded person can see that punitive measures such as advocated by certain politicians, police groups, and sensa-

tional newspapers can only defeat

that purpose.

But what about the muddle-heads?

What effect can such newspaper headlines as "Law Fixers Fight VD Rise-SD INSPECTION," and the remarkably asinine activity reported in the accompanying article. Yet this is the unique and collective (Continued on page 35)

mattachine REVIEW

Editor

M

HAROLD L. CALL Associate Editor LEWIS C. CHRISTIE

Business Manager DONALD S. LUCAS

Treasurer

O. CONRAD BOWMAN, JR.

Editorial Board ROLLAND HOWARD WALLACE DE ORTEGA MAXEY

Trademark Registered U.S. Patent Office Published monthly by the Mattachine Society, Inc., 693 Mission Street, San Francisco 5, California. Telephone: Douglas 2-3799 Copyright 1963 by the Mattachine Society, Inc. Ninth year of publication. Mattachine Foundation, Inc., es tablished in 1950 at Los An⚫ geles; Mattachine Society formed in 1953 and chartered as non-profit, non-partisan, educational, research, and social service corporation in California. Founded in the public interest for the pur. pose of providing accurate information and informed opin. ion leading to solution of sex bebavior problems, particularly those of the homosexual adult.

The REVIEW' is available on many U.S. newsstands at 75¢ per copy, and by subscription (mailed in plain, sealed envelope). Rates in advance: $7.50 per year.

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mattachine REVIEW

Founded in 1954 First Issue January 1955

Volume IX

APRIL 1963

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 CALLING SHOTS

Number 4

4 SOME IMPLICATIONS OF HETEROSEXUALISM AS DOGMA

7 A CLUB FOR HOMOSEXUALS by Roy Perrott, from London Observer

11 ERIC, fiction by Carl Richter

15 LITERARY SCENE by Gene Damon 17 HOW UNLUCKY IS 13?

21 PERFORMING ARTS by David Layne 24 BOOKS IN REVIEW

26 TOWARDS A QUAKER VIEW OF SEX: INTRODUCTION AND BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

Cover: A JESTER OF THE FRENCH COURT

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