TEN YEARS AGO NOBODY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY. OF

COURSE THERE WERE SOVE STORIES TOLD BUT THEY WERE ONLY DIRTY AND UNTRUE. THE LAST FIVE YEARS THINGS ARE CHANGING A LOT. NEWSPAPERS TELL ABOUT IT (FOR THE 15TH BIRTHDAY OF THE COC WE HAD A PRESS-CONFERENCE AND A REAL "GOOD" PRESS), PREACHING IN ALMOST EVERY KINDSOB CHURCH AND LECTURES ON THE RADION WE'RE EVEN PLANNING TO MAKE A MOVIE FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS, ETC. AT LEAST 70% OF THIS IS DUE TO THE WORK OF THE COC HOMOSEXUAL MOVEMENT,

AMONG THE 3,000 MEMBERS OF THE COC ARE 400 WOMEN. THAT IS NOT MUCH WOMEN IN HOLLAND ARE NOT CLUB-MINDED. THE WOMEN IN HOLLAND GOT THEIR RIGHTS, ALL RIGHT. BUT THE EMANCIPATION IS ONLY A LEGAL ONE. WE STILL LIVE IN A PATRIARCHAT. WOMEN ARE PAID LESS, AND THERE ARE MANY JOBS THEY SIMPLY CANNOT GET.

PEOPLE HERE REALLY CAN'T UNDERSTAND (AND "NOT UNDERSTANDING" MEANS TO THE DUTCH OFTEN "NOT BELIEVING") THAT A WOMAN – BEING OF THE INFERIOR SEX CAN PREFER THE LOVE OF ANOTHER WOMAN TO THAT OF A SUFERIOR MAN .. "SHE WILL GET OVER IT, IN ONLY SHE WEETS THE RIGHT KIND OF MAN" IS A REMARK OFTEN HEARD. AND INDEED, SOME DO. BUT THAT'S ONLY 5% AND EVEN THEY SOMETIMES RETURN TO THE GAY LIFE.

THE LESBIANS IN HOLLAND ARE NOT DIVIDED SO CLEARLY IN "BUTCH" AND "FEMS" AS IT SEEMS TO BE IN THE STATES. MOST OF US LOOK RATHER FEMININE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ALSO A QUESTION OF FASHION. AT THE MOMENT IT IS "BON TON" TO DRESS FINE. YEARS AGO YOU SAW MORE WOMEN THAN NOW IN TAILORMADE, SLACKS AND SMOKINGS. NOW YOU WEAR HIGH HEELS, YOU USE LIPSTICK AND SO ON. IT'S RATHER NATURAL I SUPPOSE. WE ARE "GAY" BECAUSE WE LOVE WOMEN. IF WE PREFER MAKE-BELIEVE MEN, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY.

WE HOLD DOWN OUR JOBS OR LEAVE THEM JUST AS ANY OTHER GIRL DOES. BUT EVEN WHEN YOUR BOSS GETS TO KNOW, HE WON'T FIRE YOU: EVERYBODY IS UNDERSTAFFED. THE KIND OF JOBS WE HAVE ARE VARIOUS. IN OUR GROUP THERE ARE SECRETARIES, HAIRDRESSERS, A LAWYER, SALESWOMEN, ARTISTS (VERY FEW) AND ONE NEWS-PAPERWOMAN (ME). WE ALL HAVE TO WORK HARD AND I DON'T KNOW ANY GIRL WHO IS EXTREMELY RICH. SOME OF US HAVE CARS INDEED. BUT NO HILLMAN MINX AND NO JAGUARS. JUST A SMALL VOLKSWAGON FOR COMFORT. BUT OF COURSE WE HAVE BIKES TOO!