EDITORIAL

Fear or Lack of Trust?

TWO POINTS BROUGHT OUT BY DR. EVELYN HOOKER AT ONE'S MIDWINTER INSTITUTE BANQUET COULD WELL BE ELABORATED UPON.

THE QUESTION WAS

POSED AS TO WHY SO FEW PEOPLE ATTENDED THE INSTITUTE THIS YEAR WAS IT FEAR ON THE PART OF THE HOMOSEXUAL TO DISCUSS HIS "RIGHTS"? ALSO DR. HOOKER EXPLAINED AT SOME LENGTH THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE RESEARCHER TO HIS SUBJECTS AND THE TRUST WHICH MUST BE MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE TWO. IT WOULD SEEM TO US THAT PERHAPS THERE IS A PARALLEL BETWEEN THESE TWO POINTS CEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTE.

FEAR AND TRUST

-

IN THE PRO-

REACTION AGAINST ONE'S PROPOSED "HOMOSEXUAL BILL OF RIGHTS" ON THE PART OF DOB MEMBERS AND READERS OF THE LADDER WAS APPARENT FROM THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT. FEAR WAS NOT THEIR PRIME CONCERN THEN. THEY HONESTLY COULD NOT SEE THE POINT OF A "HOMOSEXUAL BILL OF RIGHTS" AND FELT THAT THEY COULD BETTER EXPEND THEIR EFFORTS TOWARDS THE PROTECTION OF CIVIL RIGHTS GUARANTEED BY THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION FOR ALL CITIZENS.

HOWEVER, IT MUST BE ADMITTED THAT SOME OF THE ALARM COULD VERY WELL BE ATTRIBUTED TO FEAR FEAR THAT THE MILITANT EXTREME WOULD

-

SET HOMOSEXUALS FURTHER APART FROM SOCIETY, FEAR OF ADVERSE PUBLICITY AND ITS HARMFUL EFFECT UPON THE HOMOPHILE MOVEMENT, AND FEAR OF OPEN IDENTIFICATION IN PUBLIC.

PAST CONVENTIONS HELD BY THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS (DOB, MATTACHINE SOCIETY AND ONE) HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO DISCUSS THE PROS AND CONS OF THE SUBJECT FROM VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEW, ENABLING ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE AT ALL INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, TO ATTEND. THESE MEETINGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND HAVE DONE MUCH FOR "PUBLIC RELATIONS" FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS. THE ONE MEETING BY ITS VERY TITLE WAS A CLOSED AND LIMITED SESSION FOR THOSE WHO WISHED TO ASSUME AND PUSH THE LABEL WHICH MANY FEEL CATEGORIZES ONLY A PART OF THE WHOLE BEING.

6