Proceedings and Debates of the 88th Congress, First Session

United States of America

Congressional Record

The Mattachine Society of Washington

EXTENSION OF REMARKS

HON. JOHN DOWDY

OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Friday, July 5, 1963

Mr. DOWDY. Mr. Speaker, it came to my attention last fall that the District of Columbia government had granted a society of homosexuals a license to solicit

charitable contributions in the District of Columbia. This license was issued to i the Mattachine Society of Washington, and at that time, the Superintendent of the License and Permit Division stated that his office had no legal authority to deny such a permit to any nonprofit organization which complied with all the requirements of filing for same. This, was fully disclosed in an item carried in the Sunday, Washington, D.C., Star, of September 16, 1962, which article I include following these remarks.

I introduced a bill in the last Congress to correct this situation, but it was too late to receive action at that time. Earlier this year, I introduced the bill again, as H.R. 5990, with the earnest hope that it will receive the approval of this Congress.

In order that the Members of Congress may be fully advised, I would call attention to the fact that I believe all of us received a letter from the President of the Mattachine Society of Washington, in August of last year, in which he enclosed an excerpt from the constitution of his society, and a news release which he had just issued. To refresh memory, I include those matters with my remarks. Mr. Speaker, I regard this situation as highly improper. If the laws of the District of Columbia indeed do not authorize the refusal of a solicitation

license or any other official recognition to a society such as this, whose illegal activities are revolting to normal society, then I feel that it is our duty to provide such authority without delay.

The Mattachine Society is admittedly a group of homosexuals. The acts of these people are banned under the laws of God, the laws of nature, and are in violation of the laws of man. I think a situation which requires them to be permitted a license to solicit charitable funds for the promotion of their sexual deviations is a bad law, and should be changed forthwith.

The material follows:

[From the Sunday Star, Washington, D.C., Sept. 16, 1962]

GROUP AIDING DEVIATES ISSUED CHARITY LICENSE

The Mattachine Society of Washington, an organization formed to protect homosexuals

from discrimination, has been granted a certincate by the District license office to solicit funds in Washington.

The application said that the organization wanted to raise funds to help give the homosexual equal status with his fellow men.

society was granted its certificate to ask for District records show the newly organized contributions under the Charitable Solicitations Act on August 14.

C. T. Nottingham, Superintendent of Licenses and Permits, said his office had no authority to deny a solicitation permit to any organization whose representatives answer all questions on the permit application form.

The license chief added that he had in-

formed society representatives that if the group solicits as much as 81, he would order them to open their books and records for examination. If such an order is not complied with, he said, the licensing department will move to have the society's permit revoked.

The president of the society, who asked that his name not be used, said that his organization “is dedicated to improving the status of homosexuals in our society in the interest both of that minority group and of the Nation."

The society president said that so far no funds have been solicited.

matizedine REVIEW

Asked how many members the society had in the Washington area, he replied, "We would prefer not to say. It is small but growing rapidly."

He said that the original Mattachine Society was founded in San Francisco 10 or 12 years ago. Other independent Mattachine Societies, he said, have been organized in New York and several other American cities. The organizations took their names, he said, from the mattachines, court jesters in the Middle Ages, who were permitted to make pointed social commentaries which would have been tolerated from no one else.

THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, Washington, D.C., August 28, 1962. Hon. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

DEAR -: Enclosed, for your interest and information, is a formal statement of the purposes of the Mattachine Society of Washington, a newly formed organization, devoted to the improvement of the status of our country's 15 million homosexuals.

Included, also, is a copy of our news release, which was submitted to the Washington newspapers and others, and to the various press services.

The question of homosexuality, and the prejudice against it, both personal and official, is a serious one, involving, as it does, more than 1 out of every 10 American citizens, including roughly a quarter-million in, each, the Federal civil service, the Armed Forces, and security-sensitive positions in private industry, and at least 10 percent of your constituents.

We feel that the Government's approach is archaic, unrealistic, and inconsistent with basic American principles. We feel, in addition, that it is inexcusably and unnecessarily wasteful of trained manpower and of the taxpayers' money.

We realize that this area presents you with many potential problems, some of them quite subtle and touchý ones of politics and public relations, and that they are not always subject to easy solution, but policies of repression, persecution, and exclusion will not prove to be workable ones in the case of this minority, any more than they have, throughout history, in the case of other minorities. This is a problem which must be worked with, constructively, not worked against, destructively, as is now the case. A fresh approach by the Federal Government la badly needed.

We welcome any comments which you may haveĝon this subject.

We will be pleased to meet with you perionally, at your convenience, to discuss these and related matters.

Thank you for your consideration of position.

Sincerely yours,

FRANKLIN E. KAMENY,

President.

EXCERPTS OF THE CONSTITUTION OF MATTACHINE SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Article II. Purpose:

THE

SEC. 1. It is the purpose of this organiza tion to act by any lawful means:

(a) To secure for homosexuals the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as proclaimed for all men by the Declaration of Independence; and to secure for homosexuals the basic rights and liberties established by the word and the spirit of the Constitution of the United States;

(b) To equalize the status and position of the homosexual with those of the heterosexual by achieving equality under law equality of opportunity, equality in the so clety of his fellow men, and by eliminating adverse prejudice, both private and omcial

(c) To secure for the homosexual the right, as a human being, to develop and achieve his full potential and dignity, and the right, as a citizen, to make his maximum contribution to the society in which he lives;

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(d) To inform and enlighten the public about homosexuals and homosexuality;

(e) To assist, protect, and counsel the homosexual in need.

Sec. 2. It is not a purpose of this organ!zation to act as a social group, or as an agency for personal introductions.

Sec. 8. This organization will cooperate with other minority organizations which are striving for the realization of full civil rights and liberties for all.

MATTACHINE SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON,

The formation of a new social action group in the Greater Washington, D.C., area is and nounced. This group, the Mattachine Boclety of Washington, is dedicated to improv ing the status of the homosexual in our society, in the interest both of that minority group and of the Nation. The society discusses and acts upon all problems relating to the homosexual, both general and specific.

Guest speakers will address the group from time to time on a variety of relevant subjects, The society is also setting up a professional referral service-doctors, lawyers, clergymen etc.-for the homosexual in need.

The organization feels that the homosexusl today is where the Negro was in the 1920's, except that the Negro has had, at worst, the mere indifference of his Govern ment and, at best, its active assistance, whereas the homosexual has always had to contend with the active hostility of his Government. For this reason, it is time that s strong initiative be taken to obtain for the homosexual minority-a minority in no way different, as such, from other of our national