University of Virginia Library

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.