Letters to Tangents
Tangents
September 1966 • Vol. 1 No. 12
Originally published in the September 1966 issue of Tangents
pp. 30–31
Sirs:
I just received your letter and brochure entitled “Homosexuality and Tangents,” and was in the process of tossing it aside for later consideration, thinking I was a little short this week. I am sure many of your requests for help meet a similar fate. I received only last week a poorly worded, excuse-ridden plea for help from your relatives at ONE. Despite what they say, it is by now obvious that your faction is responsible for carrying forward the spirit and work of the organization regardless of what the courts may say now or later.
For the most part the work you are doing is underestimated by the majority of us. But thank God for your dedicated, tenacious efforts and for the high standards you have always maintained. For the purpose of helping out, then, I am sending a small sum to renew my membership. Since I live on the East Coast and receive Drum more or less irregularly, you may discontinue your Newsletter and send only the magazine.
—Glen Ridge
Sirs:
What a pity: you have fallen so far behind in your publishing schedule. For a while I did not notice—I was so busy. But now I see the last issue I have is dated August. Is it possible that we will be getting a September Tangents at Christmas? Perhaps I am the only one neglected. Will you look into your records and let me know if you received my subscription payment?
—Toronto
Sirs:
In June of this year I renewed my subscription to Tangents before leaving Germany for a one-year stay in Canada.
My reason for writing you now is to advise you that I have received no issue since the August Tangents, and I am wondering what is wrong. It is now November. Since coming to Canada the copies of the magazine I have received have taken nearly two months to arrive—this has surprised me, as I thought I would get them here much quicker than ever I did in Germany. I see now that your European readers are the lucky ones in this regard. Kindly let me hear from you in the matter,
—Scarsborough
Sirs:
As you know I have been a subscriber to ONE and Tangents for several years. I only regret—as I wrote you recently—that I am no longer able to contribute more than the regular yearly subscription. I have not worked in over a year, and while I wholeheartedly support your efforts I simply must count my pennies.
—Brooklyn
Editor’s Note: Most little magazines (especially those with a “cause” motivation) find it difficult to hold to a regular publishing schedule. These magazines are usually produced by the hand labor of their publishers, and are frequently financed at a personal sacrifice. This is true of our magazine. We apologize to all our readers, but assure you that we shall continue to publish.
Sirs:
We here take the liberty of contacting you to ask any information on your work, your periodicals and books which may be of interest to foreign readers.
At the moment we are collecting foreign periodicals for our own members—with both general and particular information about homosexuality in Europe and beyond—especially about the social situation of homosexual people and the growing developments in the thinking on this subject which is everywhere evident. The United States appears to he undergoing rapid changes in its attitudes on all sexual questions.
We await your answer to our requests, and anticipate your kind cooperation.
C. O. C. South
—Eindhoven, Holland
Sirs:
In regards to your Vennen lawsuit and the stoppage of frontal nudes imported into the U.S. by your Customs and Post Office departments, we thank you for calling the matter to our attention.
We kindly request you to let us know more about the background of this interesting case, and in which way you think our organization can support the case.
C. O. C.
—Amsterdam, Holland
Sirs:
Do you believe a person can be too pretty? I am sometimes called a “pretty boy.” And I am not bragging for l would gladly change places with a “plain Jane” any day. I am 6’3″ and weigh 175, with light blond hair and hazel eyes, a beautiful face and very shapely body. I have a low and soft voice with graceful movement; it is very easy for me to pass any time I want to go in drag. After 20 years of voice coaching, and social schools, I am not able to manage.
Moreover, even though my family is very cultured and high up on the social ladder and all that tommyrot, they still are very strict; I was disowned when they found out I was homosexual. Also—and to complicate matters for me—I have an undesirable discharge from the Army and cannot find work, especially the kind I am trained for, which is financial. I was not caught in any act, but I foolishly talked to the Army chaplain in hopes of going straight. I realize now what a ridiculous idea that was, but at the time I was not sure I was really gay; I only thought I had had a couple of bad experiences. Anyway, the chaplain said the Army was not equipped to handle such problems as mine, and he took me to my commanding officer for discharge.
Does this give you an idea of my problem? I believe there is a direct relationship between my good looks and my ill fate. Do you agree?
—San Diego
Sirs:
Thanks for the recent issues of Tangents. I have enjoyed them enormously. I was interested to learn of the progress in the homophile movement. I had no knowledge of the establishment of a National Clearing House for Homosexual Organizations, nor of the National Legal Fund. These have (been) major needs for many years. Perhaps the Clearing House will find of interest that the State of North Carolina has just refused to consider a change in its archaic laws so that “prison terms cannot exceed ten years.” Prior to last year, the state’s penalty was 5 to 60 years.
I am most interested in the global rather than the parochial aspects of the sexual problem, and I appreciate being kept informed.
Regards to all your fine people,
—Hampstead N. Y
Sirs:
I have read Richard Conger and Sidney Rothman’s “NPCHO” Conference report (Tangents, August, 1966) and find that the costumes worn by two of the speakers were not described.
Come now, Mssrs. Conger and Rothman, if we are going to have a fashion report let’s have all of the news!
—Los Angeles
Sirs:
My deep-felt thanks to Tangents Magazine, ONE, Inc., and reporters Conger and Rothman for your complete and perceptive coverage of the Second National Planning Conference.
Your responsible and thorough reporting will effectively communicate the developments of the Conference—its divisions, unity and direction—to many members of the homosexual community who might otherwise have not been aware of our activities.
Your efforts are to be applauded by all of us interested in the development of a dynamic homosexual movement in the United States.
Wm. E. Beardemphl, Pres.
Society for Individual Rights
—San Francisco
Sirs:
Although the article your magazine recently printed on the National Conference in San Francisco had moments of real insight and was written in an intelligent style, is it not true that you have shown that you want to destroy the prejudices of society while at the same time are working overtime to create in-group dissension and prejudice? The most important point that I tried to make clear in San Francisco is that there is no single method and we should be more tolerant of various approaches to win equality for the homosexual.
There has been only one demonstration on behalf of the homosexual that we have opposed: the march in Washington against the State Department. The Model Penal Code or a Supreme Court decision must precede attempts to force the government to hire homosexuals in security positions.
You seek united actions—but by the biting sarcasm you print, destroy efforts made in that direction.
Jerome Stevens, Pres.
National League for Social Understanding
—Los Angeles
Editor’s Note: Tangents said of Stevens: “Stevens is in favor of a multitude of diversified organizations pushing for all different kinds of involvement in the movement. He is seeking equality for homosexuals.”
©1966, 2018 by The Tangent Group. All rights reserved.
