The Mattachine Society- The group was founded by Communist organizer Harry Hay and other leftists including Bob Hull, Chuck Rowland, Dale Jennings, Konrad Stevens, James Gruber and Rudi Gernreich
https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/before-stonewall/mattachine
The Mattachine Society (initially called the Mattachine Foundation) began as a secret organization in Los Angeles in 1950, with their first Statement of Purpose drawn up in 1951. The group was founded by Communist organizer Harry Hay and other leftists including Bob Hull, Chuck Rowland, Dale Jennings, Konrad Stevens, James Gruber and Rudi Gernreich (Jewish Refugee). The Mattachine founders borrowed the initial structure of the organization from the Communist Party, and the leadership, the "fifth order" was anonymous, so members didn't even know their names. The Mattachine Society went on to become one of several prominent groups organizing during the period of LGBTQ+ activism referred to as the Homophile Movement, with chapters opening up in a number of states. The Mattachine Society began publishing The Mattachine Review in 1955. Regional organizations also published their own periodicals and newsletters.
Around 1957, the National Mattachine Society moved their headquarters from Los Angeles to San Francisco. In a 1957 letter from the Mattachine Board of Directors, they informed the local chapters that the board had voted 5-2 in favor of revoking all area council charters and "getting out of the branch office business." The letter went on to encourage the local Mattachine branches to continue working autonomously, which many did. The San Francisco Mattachine went on until 1967.
The collections of the Library of Congress tell the rich and diverse story of LGBTQ+ life in America and around the world. This research guide serves as an introduction into the excellent collection of LGBTQ+ resources available at the Library of Congress
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