One Institute

Homophile in the Community

By Ston Russoll

The theme "The Homosexual in the Community" keynoted the Sixth Midwinter Institute sponsored by ONE, Inc., in Los Angolos January 28-31.

Following the address of welcome by James Kepner, dr., chairman of ONE, Inc., serious business started with a panel discussion on the Institute's theme, moderated by Helen Sanders, former president of Daughters of Bilitis.

Participants were the Rev. Stephen H. Fritchman, First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles; Dr. Zoltan Gross, psychologist, Beverly Hills; David Miller, high school teacher, San Francisco, and Charles Rowland, personnel manager, Los Angel cs. The paneloors gave their professional opinion and approach before engaging in cross-fire with each other.

Reverend Fritchman, 12 years a minister in a racially mixed and culturally diversified liberal church, felt that the rosponsibility of understanding and acceptance lay more with society than the homosexual. Doctor Gross, on the contrary, felt that it was more important for the homosexual to understand and accept himself and to side-step society's penaltie s by conforming outwardly. Miller, speaking from the point of viow of the teaching profession, agrood with this. And so, in the main, did Rowland, who more or less confined himself to typical problems met by personnel managers who attempted to hiro known or "obvious" homosexuals without prejudice.

Reverend Fritchman expressed regret that there were so few statistics on homosexuals as compared to other minorities. As a minister, ho said that he wished to offer opportunities

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