"Plead and Repeat, Plead and Repeat"

BREAKTHROUGH

When

Will It Come?

The following observations of progress in the Homophile Movement are made from the point of view of some of those who have worked in it for more than a decade,

Progress is noted in smashing the "conspiracy of silence, but great difficulty continues to characterize the struggle for existence of Mattachine Society, one of the leading U.S. organizations in the movement.

"SUSPENDED PUBLICATION" and the Life Article

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mattachine REVIEW

Readers of Mattachine REVIEW have never seen anything like it before. Aware that they had not received a copy of their monthly magazine since getting a late March 1964 issue, they have heard little from the organization since-except for a fund appeal letter late in May--until the arrival of what is herewith dated as the August issue.

What's happened and why? Is Mattachine on the skids? Is its future clouded with doubt?

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These are questions which letters coming in indicate people are asking.

Simply put, 'Mattachine isn't on the skids. Its future, while saddled with problems, is not in doubt. But there are big questions as to just what the future will hold, and what changes will be necessary to meet the challenges ahead,

In the past year, it is probable that Mattachine has moyed faster than at any time in its 14-year history. From placing emphasis on in-group problems and education, it has evolved into a type of project where major concern has had to go outward to the general public unlike never before. Mattachine has been called upon by church, university and public health groups on many occasions in the past 12 months to speak with authority about the homosexual in our midst, and to give its views of how modern society can understand himm and his problems. Indeed this task alone has posed problems that are awesome to Mattachine leaders.

But this task is not the only massive challenge. With ad ditional strides having been made in the "breakthrough of the conspiracy of silence," there has come an equally increased onslaught of individuals locally, from Northern California, and from all over the U.S. seeking answers to pressing individual problems--from lay counseling, to veterans affairs, to finding jobs, and so on. This caseload is now approaching 3000 per year.

With this fantastic workload one would expect that funds to make the daily operation possible would also come in. But this has not been true to the extent necessary for Mat tachine's continuation on a minimal service basis. So press ing has been the poverty that it was necessary to eliminate one sorely needed staff member as of the beginning of 1964. His duties fell upon the shoulders of the already over-burdened two remaining staff members and officers, so that in

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