Mattachine Society

The Mattachine Society was founded in Los Angeles in 1950 by a small group of Gay men who had communist and/or radical ties. In 1951, Mattachine began sponsoring discussion groups among Gay men to raise awareness of their plight; these discussion groups spread across the county and new chapters were permanently established in Denver, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and other cities. The goal of Mattachine was to fight discrimination and to support and build a positive homosexual community. The group began to publish newsletters and fight laws limiting the rights of homosexuals. In 1953, the group of men that formed Mattachine resigned amid the turmoil of the McCarthy trials and a more conservative group took control. The goal of the organization changed to assimilation into society instead of social change. The organization began to decline in the 1950s, but chapters continued to exist well into the 1960s.

From the description of Mattachine Society papers, 1956-1973. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 320798881

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