Mattachine Society

Historical Overview

The manifesto of the Mattachine Society was based on three principles. The first was the consolidation of homosexuals as “a community,” understood as “an oppressed group” (parallel to ethnic groups), in order to raise effectiveness in the fight against discrimination and also create a sense of belonging and support personal growth. The second principle focused on education and research, which are ways to enlighten society about the condition of the homosexual minority and raise the consciousness of the community. The third principle concerned the practical involvement in political activity, putting forward the new legal and medical formulations that would remove the stigma of perversion or sickness from homosexuals.

During the 1950s and 1960s in the United States, in the time of the fierce and aggressive policies of Senator Joseph McCarthy, discussing homosexuality in public was virtually taboo. This was the reason the homophile movement soon exchanged radical politics of difference for assimilationist ones. The Communist roots of the founders quickly became problematic, and in 1953, the new leader of the Mattachine Society made it clear that his goal was to assimilate homosexuals into society, not distinguish them as a separate community. This shift marked the chief characteristic of the homophile movement. To prove “the normality” of homosexuals, they were pressured to accommodate to gender norms. Thus, any nonstereotypical behavior, such as drag and butch-femme subcultures, was treated negatively by the general public.

Another problem arose around the invisibility of lesbians within the organization. Although it claimed otherwise, the Mattachine Society was centered on white middle-class men. For 10 years of its activity, between 1955 and 1965, the organization published The Mattachine Review. The magazine focused on law, medicine, and religion, reflecting assimilationist strategies—the valorization of professionals, doctors, psychiatrists, and priests—and disregarded the personal statements of all concerned. The last chapter of the Mattachine Society closed in the 1980s.