Masculine

Viewpoint

I am generally elated with the tenor of your group's position at ONE'S 1960-61 Mid Winter Institute as rogards the Homophile "Bill of Rights" issue, and at the same time, signally dismayed by your apparent unconcern for substantially materializing your reasons. Shallying between the GO and NOGO termini of whether to invoke an exchange of correspondence in and around this, I am now of the opinion that a strengthening and broadening of your position is very much an order of the day. My opinion is even more confirmed by the recent abysmal developements in the Mattachine Society II. (THE LADDER, June 1961, page 13.)

Perhaps a word or two of self-identification might be useful. As first founder of the Mattachine Idea, (the "closed" Society I, with its open-face Foundation as opposed to the subsequent "open" Society II), the writer did not associate further with the name after the factional eruptions of May 1953 dissipated the first Society, and gutted the Foundation despite his desperate and vehement opposition. My association with ONE, INC., over the last eight years might loosely be described as that of-more cften than nota loyal opposition. In education, for instance, the writer has up to now agreed with their directions but not with many of their positions and/or postulates.

But now I stand in the very strongest opposition to their Homophile Bill of Rightsnot only the position but the very approach and direction! At the moment the core of my protestation is equally compounded by what I deploro as the "red herring" type of rebuttal (yours), instead of a diroot and open counter-offensive.

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