Fleischmann, Joan, 1940-

"ECHO was born on January 26, 1962, when four organizations, The Daughters of Bilitis, The Mattachine Society of Washington, The Mattachine Society, Inc. of New York, and the Janus Society met in Philadelphia to investigate the possibility of developing an informal affiliation of homophile groups on the East Coast. At this meeting it was decided that closer communication and cooperation between the groups was desirable. It was also decided that ECHO should sponsor a yearly public conference.

"ECHO affiliation [was] limited to formally organized groups operating east of the Mississippi River, whose main purpose [was] working toward the improvement of the status of the homosexual by lawful means. Each group [had to] be able to financially support the conference and [had to] be able to send three delegates (two 'speaking' and one 'silent') to monthly meetings.

"ECHO delegates [met] once a month in the city of the host group for that particular session. These meetings [were] divided into two separate sessions; the first [was] devoted to planning the annual conference, the second to discussing general problems and exchanging ideas on the movement as a whole. The second session [was] open to the membership of the host organization. Each year a coordinator, whose main responsibility is the conference planning, a secretary, and a treasurer [were] elected. In addition to the 'officers,' appointive committees [were] set up as needed.

"[ECHO's first public conference] was the theme - 'Homosexuality: Time for Re-Appraisal' was held in Philadelphia on August 31 and September 1, 1963. The second, held in Washington on October 10th and 11th 1964, had as its theme, 'Homosexuality: Civil Liberties and Social Rights.'

"Other activities of ECHO [included] the active assistance in the formation of new groups, follow-ups - letters, etc. - to news magazine articles, and...its own publication."

Joan Fleischmann was a school teacher and a lesbian activist whose was involved in many LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) groups including the Janus Society in Philadelphia and Mattachine Philadelphia.

Bibliography:

Quoted text from: Frazer, Joan. "A History of ECHO." From 1964 conference brochure, found in collection.

Eskridge, William N. Dishonorable Passions: Sodomy Laws in America, 1861-2003 . New York: Penguin, 2008. Accessed June 26, 2012. http://books.google.com/books?id=2kvrxp4TUYsC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.

From the guide to the Joan Fleischmann collection on East Coast Homophile Organizations (ECHO), Bulk, 1963-1965, 1963-1988, (John J. Wilcox Jr. GLBT Archives of Philadelphia)