THE SEARCHERS PROBE

"The Homosexual Neurosis"

A panel discussion on "The Homosexual Neurosis" was held Feb. 4 at the Clarion Club in Los Angele s by a non-profit corporati on known as The Searchers. This group was found e d March 1, 1956, by Dr. Robert Lord and is dedicated to the search of knowledge and understanding of science, philosophy, psychology, literature and the arts.

The panel was composed of Dr. Lord, director of the Searchers and moderator of the panel; Dr. R.W. Deobler, consultant psychologist; Dr. N.D. Tabachniek, psychiatrist; Rev. Herbert Snyder, head of the Liberal Church; Dr. Arthur E. Briggs, Dean of Law and ethical culture leader; Herbert Selwyn, attorm y; Haskell Shapiro, attorney, and William Lambert of ONE, Inc. The panel members defined their position:

Dr. Deobler:

Homosexuality a symptom of emotional illne so.

Dr. Tabachnick: A symptom of arrested development.

Rev. Snyder: Did not claim to understand the origin of homo sexuality, but felt it primarily an individual choice. At one point expostulated, "Well, who isn't neurotic?"

Dr. Briggs: Enthusiastic support of a person's right to be homosexual without harrassment perception of the spiritual aspect as well as the physical.

Herb Selwyn: Didn't pretend to know why or how one might be homosexual, but felt that the laws were wrong which made any non-physically harmful sexual acts between two consenting adults illegal. He also offered that he would no more fear that a homosexual teacher would seduce his young son than a heterosexual teacher his daughter.

Dean Briggs: Allowed that it was less likely that the former would happen than the latter.

Haskell Shapiro: "un-natural sex acts" as to homosexuals and as to unmarried one s been designed to help procreation along."

Remarked that the laws pertaining to applied equally to heterosexuals equally to married heterosexuals The laws seemingly having

Bill Lambert: Stated ONE'S position

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apparent ly that

they didn't go along with anyone's position. He didn't

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