£2,250.00

n.p. [San Francisco] . 1953.

An important and extensive archival document providing insights into the early years of one of the pioneering gay liberation movements. As well as setting out important organisational and practical details of the Mattachine Society, the document is a guide to how gay men were to go about shifting societal perceptions. In particular it is interesting to note the links drawn between mental health and the situation faced by minority group.
280x215mm. Eleven leaves typed on recto only. Three holes punched in the margin and a rusted staple mark to top left corner. In excellent condition.
The document contains six parts:
1. Minutes of Coordinating Council. 12/18/53 signed by Dab. C. Olson. Three sheets.
2. "Treasurer's Report" with balances for November and December 1952. One sheet.
3. Initial Draft. "Recommended policy for publications of the Mattachine Society on all levels". Three sheets.
4. Public Relations contact report. December 16 1953. Two sheets.
5. Specimen document for the formation of a Chapter of the Mattachine Society. One sheet.
6. Chart setting out the structure of the coordinating council and the responsibilities of the various members.
The Mattachine Society was one of the first national Gay Rights organisations in the United States. It was founded by Harry Hay ("the father of gay liberation") who brought a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary spirit to the struggle for minority rights. Originally named the "Society of Fools" (an indication of Hay's view of himself as an outsider), it was changed in 1951 to "Mattachine Society", taking its name from Medieval French secret societies of masked men whose anonymity enabled them to criticise the ruling class with impunity. And anonymity was key for the Society. Only formally appointed officers are named in full in these documents. And the draft "policy for publications" makes it clear that "the constitution guarantees anonymity to members and persons interested in the Society" and instructs contributors to newsletters to avoid naming names and locations. It also advises against mentioning any sort of sexual activity: "there is a great deal of difference between sex activity and sexual freedom as advocated in the preamble to the Constitution". And even innuendo should be avoided: "a gay remark in a newsletter can kill the good effect of the remainder of its serious content".
The Public Relations contact report also offers a fascinating insight into the early concerns of the Society, not least that of mental health: "all minority group organisations are essentially related to the mental health problem they face - that is, oppressed minorities frequently are under various legal, social and political pressures so that frustrations develop which result in mental breakdown". These documents are a indication of the pressures faced by gay men and lesbians in 1950s America and provide valuable evidence of the careful, diplomatic and challenging work carried out in the early years of the Mattachine Society.