Published bi-monthly by the Daughters of Biiitis, Inc., a non-profit corporation, 1005 Market Street, Room 208, San Francisco, California 94103. THE purpose off the VOLUME XIII, NUMBER V & VI LADDER FEBRUARY— MARCH 1969 “Dtui^^tenA 0^ B i L IT IS NATIONAL OFFl lERS, DAUGHTERS OF BILITIS, INC. President, Rita Laporte A WOMtS’S ORC.\SIZMI0\ FOR THE FlIRPOSE OF PROMOTING Vice President, East, Joan Kent THE INTEGRATION OF THE HOMOSEXUAL INTO SOCIETY BY: Vice President, West, Rinalda Reagan Secretary, Lynd James Treasurer, Lois Williams Chapter Presidents are also included on The Board THE LADDER STAFF Editor, Gene Damon Production Assistant, Lyn Collins Education of the Lesbian, enabling her to understand herself Production Manager, Helen Sanders and to make her adjustment to society in all its social, civic, Secretary to the Editor, Maura McCullough and economic implications - by establishing and maintaining Circulation Manager, Priscilla Cochran a library of both fiction and non-fiction literature on the sex Staff Assistants, Karen Wilson, Sten Russell, Ben Cat deviant theme; by sponsoring public meetings on pertinent THE LADDER is regarded as a sounding board for various points o f view subjects to be conducted by leading members of the legal, on the homophile and related subjects, and does not necessarily reflect the psychiatric, religious and other professions; by providing the Lesbian a forum for the interchange of ideas within her own opinion o f the organization except such opinions as are specifically ac­ group. knowledged by the organization. IN THIS ISSUE: © Education of the public, developing an understanding and Sex Roles: a glance at 4 cultures by Alice Lawrence 4 acceptance of the Lesbian as an individual, leading to an Rain-, a potm by Maura McCullough 6 eventual breakdown of erroneous taboos and prejudices - by The Homophile and Income Tax Inequities by Val Vanderwood 7 The Catherine Wheel: a short story by Melinda Zeilinger 10 public discussion meetings and by dissemination of educa­ TTie Life-Style of the Homosexual—asymposium 16 tional literature on the Lesbian theme. Four Poems by Carla 10 The Bee—A short story ¿yJameiCo/f on 20 6 Somerville and Ross, a Biography—Reviewed by Dr. Foster 26 Encouragement of and participation in responsible research The Counsellor’s Corner—Dr. Ruth M. McGuire, Ph. D. 27 dealing with homosex uaiity. Lesbiana— by Gene Damon 29 Cross Currents 34 Two Poems by Maura McCullough 36 o Readers Respond 37 Investigation of the penal code as it pertains to the homosexual, Two Poems by Melinda Brown 40 proposing and promoting changes to provide an equitable hand­ Four Poems fcy Car/a 41 Two Poems by Maura McCullough 42 ling of cases involving this minority group through due process Let It Go—apoembyZ.. D. £>avii 43 of law in the state legislatures. The Killing of Sister George—a review of the movie 44 Side Effects—a special feature 46 Copyright 1969 by Daughters o f Biiitis, Inc., San Francisco, California. of a facing of the problem." He went on to Although there is much social equality point out that "It is not the mechanism that among the Trobriands, there is also a defi­ SEX ROLES: is abnormal: it is its function which deter­ nite division between the activities of the mines it abnormality. It is precisely for this two sexes. A woman may exercise no power, A GLANCE AT FOUR CULTURES reason that the institutionalized “abnor­ own no land, have no place at tribal gather­ mal" traits in various cultures arc not prop­ ings, and have no voice in public delibera­ erly called ‘abnormal’ entities. (5, p. tions relating to hunting, fishing, festivi­ by Alice Lawrence .360-5 61). ties, gardening, and the like. A very impor­ It would be interesting to do an extensive tant distinction is found in gardening; a investigation of these hypotheses because a woman never gardens in her own right, but For a number of years there has appeared tions of life can occur only when people who glance at four cultures has suggested that must always have a man for whom and with to be increasing psychological and social dis­ are in the process of adaptation are accepted support for the hypotheses could be found. whom she works, and the praise for good turbance in American culture. At present, within the framework of those conditions (3. The Human Relations Area Files* pro­ gardening must always go to the man and attention is focussed on the Vietnam war and p.432; 4, p.l27). If we generalize this finding vided material on the cultures studied. not to the woman. The man has an extreme on racial inju.stice as among the primary to the topic of the increasing overlapping of These cultures were: the Andamans, natives dread of doing something which in intrinsi­ causes for such disturbance. However, there sex-roles in western civilization, it would of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Ben­ cally the attribute of the opposite sex. As are many other things that may have an ef­ seem logical that when conditions make it gal; the Lepcha, members of a Tibetan stock among the Andamans, psychological dis­ fect upon the mental health of a society. This possible for members of one sex to adopt of Sikkim, India; the Trobrians, natives of turbance appears to be minor within the paper discusses one of these factors: the re­ some of the values traditionally a.ssigned to the Trobriand Islands east of New Guinea; Trobriand culture. Anthropologists have lationship of sex-role differentiation and per­ the other, their personality integration will and the Chukchee people of northeastern not observed any instances of neurotic traits sonality .stability or instability. suffer unless they are able to achieve success Siberia. such as hysteria, nervous tics, compulsive That sex-role definitions in American life and become acceptable within that value The Lepcha were found to have relatively actions, or obsessive ideas. Although sui­ are converging has been pointed out by a system. flexible sex role boundaries. The Lepcha do cide, which is an indication of disturbance number of writers. Brown, for example, said In order to investigate the tenability of the not recognize any inherent temperamental in American culture, is comparatively fre­ that foregoing proposition, it would be necessary differences between the sexes. Members of quent among the rrobriands. It is commit­ Despite the fact that boys, much more to validate it cross-culturally. The proposi­ both sexes work in the fields, and there is no ted in accordance with the custom and ideal than girls, show a concern for behaving tion may be stated in cultural terms, in two hard-and-fast division of work between of personal honor. It is committed when a along sex-appropriate lines, there has essential parts: them. There is practically no such thing as person has been publicly accused of mis­ been considerable change in the direc­ 1. When a person who internalizes values "man's work" and ‘woman's work" and a deeds or Is insulted, whether or not the ac­ tion of both masculine and feminine usually associated with the opposite sex is man may frequently do the cooking or nurse cused was actually guilty of misdeeds. roles becoming broader, less rigidly de­ afforded the opportunity to participate the baby. Evidence suggests that psychologi­ Suicide in this society, therefore, docs not fined. less sex-typed, and more overlap­ within that value-structure on a non-preju- cal maladjustment does in fact exist among satisfy Wcgrocki's conditions quoted earlier. ping with each other ( I, p.238-239). dicial basis, he or she will suffer less malad­ the Lepcha. All the Lepchas, including the Since suicide is a matter of personal honor, Brown went on to list indications ofthe trend justment or personality disturbance than if children, drink far too much, and it appears it is an institutionalized “abnormality." and toward increasing similarity of sex roles in the society's sex-role boundaries are flexible to be impossible for them to drink in mod­ therefore would not properly be called an the United States, pointing out the similar and overlapping without complete accep­ eration. Suicide and attempted suicide are “abnormality" or a “maladjustive act" educational experiences of girls and boys tance or total lack of prejudice. frequent. Malicious gossip and scandal within this culture. from kindergarten through high school, the 2. Among societies or cultures which can­ reach such a degree that people worry a Among the Chukchee it is not at all un­ fact that husbands increasingly carry out do­ not or do not give total acceptance to an in­ great deal about what others say about them usual for a man to be “transformed" into a mestic tasks historically considered exclu­ dividual adopting most of the values of the behind their backs. woman. He drops all male pursuits, takes up sively the duties of women, the growing opposite sex, less personality disturbance Among the Andamans there is a clearcut female clothing and activities and may even number of wives holding down jobs, many of and social maladjustment will be found in division between the activities deemed suit­ take a husband. Similarly, a woman may be which have been traditionally masculine, societies with clearcut and rigid sex-role able for each sex. Certain kinds of dwellings “transformed" into a man, marry, and have and the more colorful, soft, and delicate fea­ definitions. are built only by men, while other types are children by her wife through a bond of mu­ tures of male clothing along with female Particular attention must be given to the erected only by women.