University of Virginia Library

Gays' Founder Claims Problem
Heterosexual, Not Homosexual

By TOM GILDEMEISTER

"Homosexuality is a sexual
preference and not a sexual
deviancy," Frank Kameny,
founder of the gay liberation
movement, said to a meeting of
the Gay Students Union in
Newcomb Hall last Thursday.

He stated that the repression
of homosexuals can be
attributed to the same kind of
bigotry seen against the blacks.
He added that the problem was
not a homosexual one, but
rather a heterosexual one.

Mr. Kameny received a
degree from Harvard University
and went to the west coast to
work as an astronomer. He lost
that job when it was learned
that he was a homosexual.

"Religion, 200 years ago,
deemed us heretics. One
hundred years ago we were
sinners. Now psychiatry has
decided that we are sick."

Psychiatry The Enemy

"Psychiatry is the greatest
enemy of the gay movement. It
has replaced religion, made
Freud its Messiah, and
established dogmas as strict as
those of religion," he added.
"Homosexuals are the only
experts on homosexuality."

Mr. Kameny pointed out
that the gay movement did not
organize until after Donald
Webster published his book
Homosexuality in America.

"The repression was
amazing. In the 50's, unless
one read a medical journal, the
word homosexual did not
appear."

The purpose of the groups
during this period was to
change the homosexual's image
to the heterosexual, and to
change the homosexuals to fit
this new image."

In 1961, Mr. Kameny
founded the Mattachine
Society of Washington, a
homosexual group. Earlier
groups had the first priority of
information and education.

Stressed Repression

The Mattachine Society was
the first to stress the repression
of civil liberties in an active
and militant way. They wanted
to create better lives for
homosexuals as homosexuals.

The Mattachine Society
caused a public scandal when
they picketed the White House
in 1965.

In 1967 the first student
group was organized at
Columbia University and "by
1969," Mr. Kameny stated,
"our movement had grown ten
fold and we had established
that 10 per cent of the people
in the U.S. were gay."

Mr. Kameny divided the
problems that homosexuals
must face into five areas.

"The question of criminal
law has always been irrelevant.
Most states have laws
concerning sodomy, but these
laws don't necessarily apply to
homosexuals."

Fear Losing Jobs

Mr. Kameny stated that
most gays go underground
because they are afraid of
losing their jobs. He feels that
the attitude of the employers is
in direct conflict with one's
civil rights.

"The social resources for
homosexuals are almost nil.
Gay bars have helped but we
should have other places with
different atmospheres."

The problem of a negative
attitude by society has always