He mentioned that the ACLU has defended both Communists and people like Gerald L. K. Smith in their right to free speech, free association, and the right to peaceably assemble. The ACLU is interested in the "Mrs. Duncan Case" regarding the right of the citizen to a fair trial with an impartial jury. They are interested in the "Caryl Chessman Case" from their point of view that the death penalty is "cruel and unusual punishment" in this supposedly enlightened age. The ACLU would like to see Capital Punishment abolished. The ACLU is interested in police brutality against citizens of minority groups. They have had at least 50 such cases in the last six months in Southern California. He gave frightening details of several cases the ACLU is helping the victims fight.
HOMOSEXUALS MUST JOIN OTHERS
Doctor Monroe closed on the note that he felt that unless the homosexual minority could relate its need for security to the kinds of security needed by other minorities under the Bill of Rights that it would not succeed in its fight.
After Doctor Monroe's speech the lovely Lisa Ben, who tings and plays the guitar, treated the audience to a group of original gay songs and parodies. Incidentally, several of Miss Ben's selections are soon to be recorded and released by DOB. Watch THE LADDER for information
On Sunday, January 31 the female contingent had to choose between attending a discussion group led by Doctor Baker and visiting Forrest Ackerman's home to hear "3 Oboli to Aphrodite" and to see his vast library. We hear the visit was well worth it. I went to "Meet Doctor Baker" as it isn't often that she is in Los Angeles. The session was most rewarding.
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Doctor Baker read a poem, "My Many Selves", and stated that we should all be aware of the depths within us...that one of the most intriguing things about homophiles and bisexuals was their capacity to be so many different persons, and not in a shallow schizophrenic way, either. The ideal person, she felt, was more an "ambivert"---one who is both extro and intro-vert.
She told the story of how she came to be interested in the problems of homosexuals and bisexual s. When she was 18 years
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