the Ladder

August, 1957

Vol. 1

No. 11

Published monthly by the Daughters of Bilitis, Inc., a non-profit corporation, 693 Mission Street, Room 308, San Francisco, California. Telephone EXbrook 7-0773.

OFFICERS

President Helen Sanders

Vice President Del Martin

Secretary

Marty Elliott

Treasurer Audree Allen

Publications Director

Phyllis Lyon

STAFF

Editor

Phyllis Lyon

Assistant

Del Martin

Circulation

Jaye Bell

Production Helen Sanders

Los Angeles Reporter Sten Russell

Librarian

Barbara Stephens

'TAINT FUNNY MCGEE!

The latest in jokes, called "horribles" or "grislies"; are gravely worrying some psychiatrists, according to ■ NANA press release from New York.

These experts see in this "humor", which has made jokes centered on sex all but passe, ominous evidence that sadism is the upcoming problem our mental health guardians will have to face on a large scale. The "sadi stic stories" deal with human suffering in various forms, but usually involve a child. An extra-vicious twist is often added by having the child's mother deliver the punch line.

Typical is this one pleasant reading:

and in advance, it doesn't make