A DAUGHTER WATCHES T.V.

Having been alerted that on Tuesday, March 11, the SHOWCASE TV program would conduct a panel discussion on homosexuality

we asked a New York member of the Daughters to view the show and report on it for readers of THE LADDER.

"Having received your letter yesterday morning

there

I sat, pencil poised over a fresh white sheet of paper on my coffee table my eyes glued to the face of the bearded gentleman who apparently introduces the program, SHOWCASE. He was saying in soft, promising tones that we were about to hear a discussion of a 'very interesting' subject. I lifted my pencil higher.

"Anyhow, poor Miss Fannie Hurst came on and introduced her guests, and with remarkable restraint, advised us viewers that the program which had been promised for today had undergone severe censorship some 15 minutes before show time. Severity in this case meaning that she had been directed to simply drop the topic. I swear, as I was dropping my ready pencil, I truly did see the stenciled letters swim across my eyes VERBOTEN.

"So that was kind of that except for some rather courageous remarks made by Miss Hurst (indirectly) on censorship of valid social questions. She is a writer, you know, and inclined to metaphor, but in this case, well put! She said something to the effect that we (society) have not as yet come out of that 'strange, dark jungle of fear'. And with marvelous diplomacy, I thought, made it quite clear to all viewers that the responsibility did not lie with her.

"Apparently the show I was asked to watch was a second one insofar as she referred to the previous day's discussion, presumably on the same subject, thusly: 'After the high plateau reached yesterday' she regretted that 'the station feels we are a little premature.'

(The previous program referred to by our New York reporter was held on SHOWCASE the day before an all