SHOULD BE BASED ON THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE THAT HOMOSEXUALS ARE IN JUSTICE ENTITLED TO EXACTLY THE SAME RIGHTS NO WORE AND NO LESS

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AS OTHER PERSONS, AND WITH THE SAME QUALIFICATIONS. AMONG THỂ GOALS OF THE HOMOPHILE MOVEMENT WHICH SHOULD BE MENTIONED IS THAT OF WORKING TO PROMOTE BROADER "RIGHTS" FOR ALL CONSENTING ADULTS, HOMOSEXUALS OR OTHERWISE, TO BEHAVE SEXUALLY IN PRIVATE AS THEY SEE FIT WITHOUT THIS BEHAVIOR BEING CLASSED AS CRIMINAL. THE STATEMENT SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE PRIMARY IMPORTANCE OF LONG-RANGE EDUCATION, BOTH OF THE HOMOSEXUALS THEMSELVES AND OF THE PUBLIC, AIMED AT GREATER MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND SELF-UNDERSTANDING. \WITHOUT THIS, NO OTHER GOALS CAN BE ACHIEVED. THE STATEMENT MUST DEVOTE AS MUCH SPACE TO SPELLING OUT THE OBLIGATIONS OF HOMOSEXUALS TO SOCIETY AS IT DOES TO DESCRIBING SOCIETY'S OBLIGATIONS TO THE HOMOSEXUAL.

THE HOMOSEXUAL IS ALREADY REGARDED AS "OUT". MUST WE FORCE HIM, FURTHER OUT?

More to the Point...

FOR YEARS THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS DEALING WITH THE HOMOSEXUAL PROBLEM HAVE EXPLOITED THE SUBJECT OF INJUSTICE TO AND PREJUDICE AGAINST THE HOMOSEXUAL ... AD INFINITUM AND AD NAUSEUM. ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME WE STOPPED BEING CRY BABIES? ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME WE LEARNED THE TRUE MEANING OF "A MYSTIC BOND OF BROTHERHOOD MAKES ALL MEN ONE"?

WE WOULD REMIND OUR FRIENDS OF ONE, TOO, OF THE WORDS OF THE IR COLUMNIST ("TOWARD UNDERSTANDING"), DR. BLANCHE BAKER: "I DOUBT IF THE HOMOSEXUAL CAN BE ACCEPTED IN SOCIETY UNTIL HE LEARNS TO CLEAR HIMSELF FROM THE HATE, PREJUDICE AND INTOLERANCE WITHIN HIMSELF. HE MUST KNOW HIMSELF AND BALANCE HIS OWN UNRULY NATURE BEFORE HE CAN EXPECT MANY OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND HIM."

INSTEAD OF A "HOMOSEXUAL BILL OF RIGHTS", WE SUGGEST THAT MORE TO THE POINT FOR ONE'S MIDWINTER INSTITUTE WOULD BE A MEMORIAL TO DR. BAKER WITH THE THEME "TOWARD UNDERSTANDING".

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· DEL MARTIN

*PAGE 12, INTRODUCTION, GAY BAR, PAN GRAPHIC PRESS 1957