EDITORIAL

The Homosexual Vote

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THE DOB CONVENTION IS PAST. THIS MONTH THE POLITICAL CONVENTIONS OF THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES TAKE OVER. AND THE FORTHCOMING NATIONAL ELECTION LEADS TO THE QUESTION IS THERE, OR COULD THERE BE, A HOMOSEXUAL VOTING BLOC? HOW MUCH VOTING STRENGTH DOES THE HOMOSEXUAL MINORITY HAVE? TO WHAT EXTENT DOES OR CAN THAT VOTE INFLUENCE AN ELECTION?

LAST YEAR'S ELECTION IN SAN FRANCISCO (SEE NOVEMBER, 1959 ISSUE OF THE LADDER) BROUGHT ABOUT MUCH CONJECTURE ON THIS SCORE. THERE WAS A STRONG FEELING AMONG THE HOMOSEXUAL MINORITY IN THIS CITY AGAINST THE INCUMBENT, MAYOR GEORGE CHRISTOPHER UNTIL HIS OPPONENT RUSSELL WOLDEN, CHARGED THE MAYOR WITH HARBORING "ORGANIZED HOMOSEXUALS" IN HIS IDST. CHRISTOPHER WON THE ELECTION, AND IT WAS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THERE WERE SOME 9000 VOTES CAST IN THAT ELECTION WHERE THE VOTERS ABSTAINED ON THE ISSUE OF MAYOR.

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HAT ACTUALLY DOE! THIS EAN? DID THE HOMOSEXUAL VOTE DEFEAT WOLDEN BECAUSE OF HIS ATTACK ON THEIR GROUP? OR WERE THE PEOPLE OF SAN FRANCISCO TOO WISE AND TOO SOPHISTICATED TO TAKE THE CHARGES SERIOUSLY? OR WERE THERE OTHER ISSUES BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES THAT WERE THE DECIDING FACTORS? WE CAN CNLY CONJECTURE. FOR UNFORTUNATELY THE SAN FRANCISCO PRESS REFUSED TO AIR THE ISSUE AND FEW LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WERE PUBLISHED WHICH COULD BE ONE MEASURING STICK OF PUBLIC OPINION.

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THESE ARE SIMPLY OUR OWN CONJECTURES. AND IT WAS INDEED INTERESTING TO FIND OUT THAT SOME ONE ELSE HAD BEEN DOING SOME THINKING ON THE SUBJECT. HERE IS AN EDITORIAL WRITTEN BY MURRAY KEMPTON ENTITLED "ELECTIONS AND THE HOMOSEXUAL"