My thoughts on harry Hay and John Burnside/RE: How do we view homosexuality? Harry Hay/Mattachine v. ONE/HIC

I met Harry and John at ONE in the early 1960s as they came to work and visit-worked on a Friday night committee as I recall. I still think that is how they met, although I/ve seen other versions. I think Harry had not been active for a few years after being kicked out of his Mattachine by Hal Call et al in about 1955 or 6. The publications section had already come out to publish ONE Magazine, and incorporated to do that and then the other needed things, such as have lectures, classes (the Institute) and help in social services and legal work. (Inbetween as I recall is when the Dale Jennings legal case, over his entrapment arrest, happened, as reported by him in I think the first issue of ONE. As a co-founder of Mattchine and ONE he was one of the main people at the time.)

Jim Kepner had just left ONE for the second time-over Dorr's not being honest about our tax-exemption-which he had not completed, which is why ONE never was tax-exempt, and had a license as we had the Bookservice. That is why in 1965 ISHR was formed, with Reed Erickson giving the funding for a tax-exempt part of ONE. Don and i switched to it, but then Dorr tried to force everyone out who disagreed with his priorities and Don led the separation that Easter Sunday. The Annual Meeting had been a disaster and right after John and Harry had become voting members, they quit over this as had Morgan Farley. They had all warned Don that Dorr was causing trouble and didn't think Don cared as he liked Dorr so much, and till then they had run different parts of ONE, Don the magazine and library.

In the early 1970s as I recall Don and Tony (Reyes) bought the house in Colorado and about the same time John and Harry moved to the cottage at San Juan Pueblo. In earlier years they had lived in Laguna Beach and other places. And they lived in Hollwood after moving back and then to San Francisco. I am not sure when they did the Faerie bit. They in I think the late 80s visited with me here in Louisiana while coming back from a speaking trip. I think they were in a Volkwagon or some such small car.

I/we of course went to their place on Washington Blvd at Western right around the corner from our office on Venice at Western (Around 1962-4). There they made the Teleidoscopes that John had invented, but later I think his wife took control. He had lived with her on Outpost in Hollywood, where we went once. But their material burned up in a fire that destroyed the Trading Post in New Mexico and tthen they were poor. (There Harry contuned his interest in American Indians/Native Americans, and did the work to stop the builidng of a dam that woud hurt the tribe there.)

We had a great time around May, 1966 when they and we worked on the Committee to Fight Exclusion of Homosexuals From the Armed Forces. They rode in a car (we did a Motorcade of a dozen or so cars thought L. A) .and were interviewed on some tv shows. Dale talked about Harry as dominating, such as choosing the name Mattachine, and yet his experiences in the early days, and communist work may have helped get it started, even if later it was a hindrance- which is a generic thing for lots of causes. But I never saw a downside of either of them. In theory Harry was the dominant one, but they both talked a lot.

I don't remember much of the conversations we had over the years, as I don't even remember much of the time with Don and Dorr. Fortunately Don's work is in print in the magazine and newsletters and a few columns in general newspapers. And Harry is in several books, stuch as Stuart Timmon's (The Troube with...) and the short biographical material in Vern Bulloughs' edited book, Before Stonewall, and C. Todd White's history of early Mattachine/ONE/HIC (Pe-Gay L. A).

Can we assume the history will be dealt with in what I understand is a 2012 celebration of Harry?

John Burnside honored in RFD Magazine as it announces changes, new address

The Winter 09 issue of RFD Magazine (#136, started in 1974) illustrates both the honored past of our community/movement and the hopeful future, as it leaves (Short Mountain) Tennessee and moves again to Massachusetts. (It has also been in Iowa, Oregon.) So best wishes as the new people take up the work.

But after a glance at the beautiful cover (a special point as it has an older man on the front cover and a younger man on the back cover) and the announcement of the new address (SMS will still be involved as the printer is in Nashville and they will do the mailing) and the picture of a group includng John Burnside and Harry Hay, 1978, Running Water, if we read nothing more, this issue is worth the work s it has the wonderful obituary of John Burnside by Robert Cronquist.

The memories are what gives us evidence of a community, even though many of us keep sayhing there is no community. Here is a loving portrait of John, and the contrast with Harry. Often we ask what got some of us into the movement, and John's path is explained, and I know its true as I and others were there at ONE when John and Harry found each other—in fact some of us helped move material from John's house below the Hollywood Freeway, and later from their place in Laguna Beach, and visited them in San Juan Pueblo.

By the way, although I personally have said that with limited ability, we need to concentrate on one issue, as is pointed out, Harry and John were took the time to work on avery important non-gay issue in helping the people of New Mexico, Indians and non-Indian, save the Rio Grande from an unneeded dam.

Harry of course co-founded (the main impetus) the first continuing homosexual organization, Mattachine. Internal troubles with Mattachine and later the faerie group caused them pain, but they kept going, to found the Circle of Loving Companions, which may yet be important in our fight for recognition of our loving relationships in marriage equality. The fact that the group members supported Harry and John is evidence of a community-something you would think the Mormons would respect as that is one of their “selling points,” what they are famous for (as well as their choir, which we have several of also).

It is inspirational to know the life of John Burnside and how he "balanced' Harry Hay as a couple, personally and in the movement. RFD deserves thanks for this personal and honest rememberance of a good person and this part of our community/movement history. And thanks to Robert Cronquist for sharing, and the others in the Circle of Loving Companions for their devotion to these two and our community.