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parents, psychologists, clergymen, librarians and others prepared to testify that it was doing its job superbly. The judge quickly perceived that his job was not to decide which of the expert witnesses had "won" the dispute. The fact that there was a sincere, informed dispute was enough to free SHOW ME! from the charge of obscenity.

It is interesting how often critics of the book seem totally unaware of what the book is saying or trying to do. One accuser declared, "It is a systematic introduction to shamelessness," as though that revelation were all one needed to see. But that's exactly what the book intends to be, a tool to take the shame out of sex. The prosecutor in Massachusetts remarked, "The more tender the mind, the more obscene the book." (By "tender" I assume he means "young," but other interpretations might work better for him.) But consider: Would SHOW ME! be "obscene" to a three-year old? No. He hasn't been taught about the "awfulness" of any of this stuff yet. How about an eight-year old? Well, not quite, because he doesn't yet know about the "heinousness" of masturbation, or the "wickedness" of oral sex. In fact, the prosecutor has it exactly reversed. The older the mind, the more likely the agitation.

I close with two random further lessons from my SHOW ME!

experience:

Every prosecution

* Researchers qualify their own results.
witness who showed the book to friends testified that
they were uniformly appalled. Every defense witness
testified to uniform approval.

* You can win them all, but you can't persuade them all.
In Toronto, after the judge dismissed the case, the
prosecutor said the judge's ruling was a "well-reasoned,
enlightened judgment." In Oklahoma, the prosecutor said,
I say the judges are being pressured by a minority
who get their kicks out of reading such trash."

"

The prosecutor in Oklahoma evidently listened to no one who supported the book. He didn't notice Dr. Edwin.0. Carlson say, "SHOW ME!...is a meaningful, accurate means of dealing with sex education. While intended for children, I feel it would be an enriching and enlightening experience for adults as well." Or Morley Cowan, president of Children's Rights Organization, " It is time someone presented a thorough, outspoken work explaining sexuality and sensuality without instilling lies and shame..." Or educator Gilbert Salk, "It is beautiful, warm, informative... I recommend it without reservation."

This fall, St. Martin's is issuing a paperback edition of SHOW ME! and I'm certain someone will tear a copy up in rage. same person who, twenty five years ago, would have torn up the Kinsey Report. What will they be tearing up in the year 2001?

The

May 27, 1977

Morris Kight

1428 North McCadden Place Hollywood, California 90028

(213) 463-3928

FROM: MORRIS KIGHT

TO: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUB-COMMITTEE

1.

I have long been involved in various gay liberation causes. The organizations with whom I have been most active include: Gay Liberation Front of Los Angeles (Founder, 1969); Christopher Street-West (Founder, 1970), the oldest gay coalition in the country; the Gay Community Services Center (Co-founder, 1971), the first comprehensive social service agency serving the needs of gay and nongay clients which organization has a six year track record of excellence thereby achieving national renown and respect; and The Stonewall Democratic Club (President), the largest gay issues oriented group in the country. I appear here today, however, as a private person not representing any of those organizations.

2. I am deeply concerned that much of the thrust of this hearing has been directed toward the gay or homosexual community. The statement of Robert F. Leonard (read into the record) contains a long shopping list of accused persons - all of them having to do with man young man relationships. Much of the general discussion has had to do with the gay community. Last evening members of the Committee were hosted at the Gold Cup Restaurant in Hollywood by the Los Angeles Police Department. You saw that the Gold Cup is frequented by male customers. 3. One member of the committee yesterday suggested to his staff that the meeting could very easily do well to direct itself away from its single-minded preoccupation with homosexuality. We thank that member for his proper concern that the goals of the committee be more comprehensive.

4. What is at issue? That a well known set of facts have now become the subject of a major national debate. That an enormous number of young people are illfed, ill-clothed, provided with unattractive educational opportunities, inadequate medical care, and that a considerable number of them are not properly loved nor cared for at home. That some of them wander around their communities, or the country, as aimless searchers. That some of them wind up engaged in various less-than-wholesome activities. All of these facts have been known for years. The creation of the Children's Bureau in the Department of Labor forty years ago was designed to get children out of the labor market and halt their exploitation as under-paid and over-worked members of the labor force.

Various groups in the country have long records of outreach to the young in providing surrogate care. They should be honored for their good works. Obviously a wider range of support should be provided for them.

Books have been written, studies done, a vast store of knowledge has been created to deal with the problems of alienated youth. All of these materials need now to be brought into use, read, studied, debated, and where ever practicable solutions are provided, some method of installing them should be provided.

5. What should be the goals of the national debate? Surely it should and shall go forth. But we urge that it be more comprehensive, fairer, and more concerned with unaddressed needs than simply defining a single target population as the scapegoats for all our problems. So far that target has been the gay male community and much of that discussion has been in a criminal context instead of a social concern context which would have been more to the point. We should hope that some of the discussion go more substantively into how large is the problem of alienation of the young. Some of that alienation stems from the disillusionment of the racism that young ethnics have suffered. They are rebelling against a society which has permitted wanton racism. Some of it stems from young middle class who are rebelling against the excesses caused by the War in Indo-China resulting in near total disillusionment in the wisdom and actions of the adult society. Some of it from young women who taking their leadership from adult feminists are saying that our society has maltreated women.

Could we pass a law outlawing alienation? Surely not, such a law would be further alienating.

What about family planning? Surely the creation of new children - once hailed as a major event now seems unwise (beyond the needs of the family to reproduce itself). Is this sub-committee going to honor the family planning programs of the country encourage them - and provide more support for them. It seems unwise to continue to create families for whom there is most surely the hazard of neglect.

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What about incest? That it has been going on is a well guarded national secret. A pioneering group has emerged in Saint Louis, Missouri, to really deal with incest for the first time. They say that it may run as high as 30% in lower income families and that millions of young women are sexual partners of male members of their families. We hope that the national debate will take this issue up (and for the first time) deal with it honestly.

6. The gay community: I feel, and very deeply, that the single-mindedness of much of the approach has been toward us. We share in our responsibility for the society around us, but we think it not unreasonable for us to ask for fair play.

Child molestation cases in this jurisdiction run to 96% non-gay. Furthermore of the adult males accused of child molestation, a very small number are convicted simply because the factual investigation of their arrests have determined their innocence.

It should be pointed out that the Gay Community Services Center has found jobs for thos adult enough to enter the market place (no fee service). Also the Center places these people in non-exploitative jobs. It provides counseling services (non-judgmental and non-threatening) for those who find themselves lost, alone and confused. It should be pointed out that the Center has provided Community return for many who made peace with their families and subsequently returned to a safer environment.

Statistics should be credible and should be challenged. One author, a resource person for this committee, says that 300,000 young males are engaged in prostitution in the country. I do not believe this figure and have told him so. But the harm has been done - now the Los Angeles Police Department has extrapolated this figure to indicate that 30,000 such are here in the city. This is just not true. The Department benignly admitted it was not true: when it issued the 30,000 figure we challenged it. A police spokesperson said: "Well, even if its 1000, it's too many". Agreed, one would be too many. None of us with concern for the community advocates child exploitation, but is the figure 30,000 or is it 1,000? You cannot have both ways in statistics and for an agency of the importance in this concern (the Los Angeles Police Department) to deceive you, the press, and the community is wrong.

What am I advocating?

That this committee become a force for social change and not one of further confusing the social issues of the day.

That no legislation, unless it contains a strong social service component and considerable amounts of funding for community-based organizations, will be of more than negative value. One orator spoke of the Mann Act. It is still in force is it not? Would not some arrest figures of male-female persons be an indication of its use and enforcement?

That the committee demand of its resource people that they bring balanced reportage and that an enumeration of a concert of concerns is in order.

....and that it might be being used by various forces who are seeking some goals of their own. That police agencies want a larger budget and the old scare tactics of the past: the labor movement; Black and Hispano-ChicanoLatino self-determination movements, the anti-war movement, the Ren Menace, and other such ancient tactics have passed from the scene. Now the new thrust is toward the young and adult inter-reactions with them.

....and that various commercial enterprises are waiting for the furor to
rise to the point that a new industry will emerge. Books, de-programming.
aversion therapy, behavior modification, and investigative agencies will
be the new vogue. While none of us discourages freedom of association,
we simply ask that those choosing to associate themselves with the problems
of the very young come with intellectual and spiritual honesty.

....and unless they do we will just get farther and farther away from our
goals.

LADIES AUXILIARY

Catholic War Veterans of the United States

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT

Committee on Education and Labor

Bill H.R. 5063 To Amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
Members of the Committee on Education and Labor

I am Adelaide V. Kowansky, President of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Catholic War Veterans of the Department of District of Columbia which takes in the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia.

Our ladies are simply appalled at the filth that is available for purchase just about anywhere in the District of Columbia.

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Many thousands of school children, by bus loads, people from all over the country and from many foreign countries around the world come to visit Washington, D.C., our nation's capitol. What do they find? Pornography just everywhere. it is not confined to the "adult book stores." lt is sold even near restaurants where the tourist buses stop with children. fact 1 received a telephone call informing me that a little girl came home from her class trip to Washington, D.C., with a children's pornographic book. The book should not even have been sold to her!

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Our ladies are indignant! In fact I get telephone calls all the time, even from non-members, asking our organization to please do something about the terrible filth being sold. I was taken around and shown the different stores and what horrible books are being sold in them. It is an abomination! Now things have gotten even worse for children are being sexually abused and exploited we now have child pornography!

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When we ruin children, it is the beginning of the end of our civilization. That is why we hope and pray H. R. 5063 will be passed and enacted into law.

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