SHREW OR NOT, LIKE OTHER WIVES, AND THAT THEY ARE PERMITTED TO DEN'ONSTRATE THIS DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERING CULTURES.

"WE MAY BE HOMOSEXUALS, OR BISEXUALS, OR WHATEVER, BUT NO MATTER WHAT A STEREOTYPE TRIES TO MAKE US BELIEVE ABOUT OURSELVES, WE ARE FIRST OF ALL PEOPLE NATURAL, 'NORMAL' PEOPLE IN A LARGE PATTERN OF HUMANITY, EACH WITH HIS OWN SET OF IDIOSYNCRACIES (AS VIEWED BY THE INTOLERANT). SOME OF US ARE MORE EMPATHETIC, SOME ARE LESS; SOME COURAGEOUS, SOME NOT. WHATEVER WE ARE, LET US TRY TO ACCEPT EACH MEMBER OF HUMANITY ON THE BASIS OF HIS OWN INTRINSIC WORTH, APART FROM PREFABRICATED CONCEPTS AND PIGEON-HOLES HANDED TO US FROM A SOCIETY WHICH IS BARELY IN ITS OWN ADOLESCENCE. AND LET US NOT BE DIVERTED FROM THIS BY THE TEMPTATION OF PIGEON-HOLES AND PREJUD I CES WHICH, LIKE OUR WELL-MEANING, GOOD-HEARTED MR. STERNHAUSER'S ARE MORE KINDLY INTENDED THAN SOME OTHERS."

F. B., CALIFORNIA

*****

"YOUR PUBLICATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY EYES ONE OF FORTHRIGHT MATERIAL. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO SEE A REPORT OF THE TALK OF DR. DRELLICH BEFORE THE FORMER NEW YORK AREA COUNCIL OF THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY, INC. (NOW KNOWN AS THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK). BUT DIDN'T YOU FEEL IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MENTION BEFORE WHAT LARGE LUDIENCE' OR UNDER WHOSE SPONSORSHIP THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN? SINCE THE ARTICLE SHOWS NO AUTHORSHIP OR CREDIT, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT YOU PEOPLE WERE THE AUTHORS.

"WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CORRECTING THIS MISUNDERSTANDING PERHAPS IN YOUR NEXT ISSUE. WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO GET SPEAKERS OF SUCH HIGH CALIBER THAT AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT WOULD BE OUR DUE. BY THE WAY, IF THIS LETTER SEEMS A LITTLE HARSH, IT IS BECAUSE AT FIRST GLANCE I FELT WE HAD BEEN SLIGHTED. NO OFFENCE IS MEANT. I ADMIRE THE WORK YOU ARE DOING AND CERTAINLY WISH YOU ALL WELL."

ALBERT J. DE DION, CHAIRMAN

MATTACHINE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK

EDITOR'S NOTE: SORRY, WE GOOFED. THE ARTICLE IN QUESTION IS "NEW FINDS FROM PSYCHOANALYTIC RESEARCH ON HOMOSEXUALITY" WHICH APPEARED IN THE MAY, 1961 ISSUE OF THE LADDER.

26