The Mail HOMOSEXUAL ACCEPTANCE

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

Recently, graduate students, undergraduate students, officers, and faculty of Harvard University formed the Graduate Student Homophile Association. The primary aim of GSHA is to gain acceptance of homosexuals by society as positively valued Individuals. In this respect, GSHA functions in several capacities. First, GSHA is attempting to promote an understanding of the homosexual and of homosexuality by sponsoring educational activities, such as lectures, research, discussions, and dialog with groups in the academic and local communities, which are designed to change and correct existing attitudes toward homosexuality. GSHA has initially been involved in speaking engagements at universities and churches. The response to such a service has been extraordinary, and the sincere dialog has been effective in creating a better understanding of the homosexual and in gaining active support by heterosexuals. Second. GSHA provides legal, psychiatric, draft counseling, and religious referral services for homosexuals. Third, GSHA intends to function in initiating social reform and political reform. The latter involves reform of the present laws against homosexual behavior between consenting adults in private and reform of discriminatory policies and practices. Examples of such discriminatory policies and practices include discrimination of homosexuals in federal and non-federal employment, hidden surveillance, bar raids, extortion, blackmail, police harassment and enticement, notification of employers upon police arrest, brutality, registration of homosexuals, inability to obtain security clearances, and dishonorable discharge from the military services. And finally, GSHA sponsors constructive social activities for homosexuals.

GSHA cooperates with six other homophile organizations in Boston in functioning in the aforementioned capacities. These other homophile organizations include the Daughters of Bilitis, the Homophile Union of Boston, the Student Homophile League, the Boston University Homophile Club, the Homophile Coordinating Committee, and the Council on Religion and the Homosexual. These homophile organizations, composed of both homosexuals and heterosexuals, are working toward the acceptance by society of homosexuality as a mode of self-expression no less valued than heterosexuality and toward the establishment in society of the homosexual as a first class citizen. In order to accomplish these objectives, such organizations need the active involvement and cooperation of homosexuals and heterosexuals.