"At first the Mattachine Society was secretive, with its leaders' names unknown to members. It functioned as a support group for gay people - the membership was mostly men - and served to educate them about fighting for equal rights in conservative post-World War II America. Hay, who had been a member of the Communist Party, soon ran afoul of that conservatism."
"He was called before the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee in 1955, but the committee members decided he was insignificant, so he did not face any punishment. However, he had already split from the Mattachine Society two years earlier, as the other leaders feared his presence would bring the attention of politicians who were out to purge Communists. Mattachine did get investigated by the FBI between 1953 and 1956."
The Mattachine Society formed in 1950 in Los Angeles and drew inspiration from the 1924 Chicago-based Society for Human Rights. Founders included labor organizer Harry Hay, Bob Hull, Chuck Rowland, Dale Jennings, Konrad Stevens, James Gruber, and designer Rudi Gernreich. The group began secretive, serving mostly men as a support and education network to fight for equal rights in conservative post-World War II America. Internal conflicts over Hay's Communist ties led to his departure and a public turn. Investigated by the FBI in the 1950s, the organization grew in the 1950s and 1960s with chapters across major U.S. cities.
Read at Advocate.com
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