LEADS TO BROADER HORIZONS AND RESULTS IN SELF-IMPROVEMENT. ONLY THUS CAN I SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF LIVING IN A SOCIETY WHICH HAS NOT YET ACCEPTED LESBIANISM AS A WHOLE BUT WHICH ACCEPTS THE LESBIAN AS AN INDIVIDUAL IF SHE IS WILLING NOT ONLY TO SEEK UNDERSTANDING BY HETEROSEXUALS BUT TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT ON A MUTUAL BASIS. WHEN THAT OCCURS, THE QUESTION "WHY AM I A LESBIAN?" IS NOT A MERE SEARCHING FOR MYSTERIOUS CAUSES. IT BECOMES A QUESTION THAT IS ANSWERED BY THE INNER HAPPINESS I HAVE FOUND--| AM A LESBIAN BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO BE.

Here and There

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NEW YORK, N.Y. THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IN OCTOBER ANNOUNCED A CAMPAIGN AGAINST BARS "PATRONIZED BY PROSTITUTES AND HOMOSEXUALS", REPORTS THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY'S NEW YORK AREA COUNCIL. SIXTEEN INVESTIGATORS WERE BROUGHT IN TO ASSIST THE LOCAL STAFF IN THE "CLEAN-UP". SPORADIC CLOSINGS CONTINUED THROUGH THE WINTER, CULMINATING MARCH IN THE MASS CLOSING OF MOST OF THE REMAINING GAY BARS, NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS OF THE FIRST CLOSINGS FREQUENTLY CONTAINED SUCH PHRASES AS "PERMITTING HOMOSEXUALS AND DEGENERATES ON THE PREMISES" AND "ENCOURAGING A HOMOSEXUAL CLIENTELE".

THE CAMPAIGN IS PROBABLY PROMPTED BY LEE MORTIMER'S COLUMN IN THE "DAILY MIRROR", REPORTS THE N.Y. MATTACHINE NEWSLETTER, SINCE LAST AUGUST HE HAS BEEN ATTACKING THE "MAFIA BOSSES WHO CONTROL EVERY QUEER

AUGUST HE HAS BEEN ATTACKING THE "MAFIA BOggES WHO CONTROL EVERY QUEER DIVE AND CALL-GIRL JOINT IN THE CITY". SOMETIMES A MENTION IN HIS COLUMN WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY A BAR CLOSING. ALTHOUGH MORTIMER HAS AINED HIS CAMPAIGN AT THE CRIME SYNDICATES, HIS ANTIHOMOSEXUAL BIAS IS WELL-KNOWN, THE ARTICLE STATES. HE CLEARLY ASSUMES BARS WHERE HOMOSEXUALS CONGREGATE ARE IN FACT ILLEGAL.

"THE RIGHT OF WELL-BEHAVED PERSONS, WHETHER HETEROSEXUAL OR HOMOSEXUAL, TO CONGREGATE IN A PUBLIC PLACE IS," THE NEWSLETTER SAYS, "PROTECTED BY THE U.S. CONSTITUTION."

THE MATTACHINE NEW YORK AREA COUNCIL HAS ESTABLISHED A COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION. THE COMMITTEE IS NOW IN CONTACT WITH LAWYERS, BAR-OPERATORS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS.