WE LIVE IN A HOUSE WITH THE WINDOWS SO DIRTY THAT ONLY A FEEBLE LIGHT COMES THROUGH,"

B. H., OREGON

"THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF TIMES WHEN I HAVE TAKEN EXCEPTION TO THE REVIEWS IN THE LESBIANA. I HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING TO DATE, BUT THE REVIEW OF YOUNG AND INNOCENT IN THE OCTOBER ISSUE WAS THE LAST STRAW. ON THE STRENGTH OF YOUR REPORT THAT THE AUTHOR EXAMINES 'A SUCCESSFUL LESBIAN MARRIAGE', I ORDERED A COPY FROM YOUR BOOK SERVICE. NET RESULT ONE BIG QUESTION: DID GENE DAMON REALLY READ THIS BOOK?

"IF SHE DID, PERHAPS SHE CAN TELL ME JUST HOW SHE CAME TO 'DELIBERATELY, ILLOGICALLY AND WRONGFULLY' USE THESE WORDS IN REFERENCE TO THE YOUNG AND INNOCENT? DOES SHE REALLY CONSIDER A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON 'LONELINESS', DECEIT AND BLACKMAIL 'SUCCESSFUL'? MANTICS

PERHAPS MISS DAMON SHOULD TAKE UP THE STUDY OF SE-

I DON'T THINK WE'RE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE!"

M. D., CALIFORNIA

"SORRY, BUT I THINK YOU'VE MISSED THE BOAT. YES, I'M REFERRING TO THE DOB'S RECENT CORRESPONDENCE WITH MAYOR CHRISTOPHER, THE POLICE CHIEF'S REPLY, AND THE COMMENTS IN THE OCTOBER LADDER REGARDING THIS MATTER. TO BE BLUNT, NOWHERE IN THE REPLY BY CHIEF CAHILL, AS IT WAS PRINTED, WAS THERE ANY EVIDENCE THAT OFFICIALDOM IS GOING TO APPLY 'A LITTLE MORE UNDERSTANDING'.

"NOW LET'S BE REALISTIC. HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR IS CONSIDERED SOCIALLY DEVIANT BEHAVIOR. BY THAT I MEAN IT IS CONTRARY TO THE INSTITUTIONALIZED NORMS OF SOCIETY. ROBERT K. MERTON, ONE OF THE FOREMOST SOCIOLOGISTS IN THE UNITED STATES, HAS THIS TO SAY ABOUT THE LIBERALISM OF SOCIETY WITH REGARD TO DEVIANT BEHAVIOR: 'NOR DOES SOCIETY LIGHTLY ACCEPT THESE REPUDIATIONS OF ITS VALUES. TO DO SO WOULD BE TO PUT THESE VALUES INTO QUESTION. HE GOES ON, IN HIS SOCIAL THEORY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE, TO SPEAK MORE SPECIFICALLY, USING ECONOMIC DEVIANCE AS AN EXAMPLE, SO PLEASE FORGIVE