The Rejected was critically and popularly well-received upon its initial airing. Variety described it as handling the topic in a "matter-of-fact down-the-middle manner, covering it quite thoroughly and, for the most part, interestingly". Terrence O'Flaherty, critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, concurred, praising KQED for its courage in addressing the subject matter,Tropiano, p. 6 as did the San Francisco Examiner, which said the program "handled [the topic] soberly, calmly and in great depth".quoted in Sears, p. 502 Of the letters KQED received, which numbered in the hundreds,Capsuto, p. 40 97% were positive and many of the writers encouraged the station to make more programs like it.Tropiano, p. 7 Dorian Book Service of San Francisco published a transcript of The Rejected,Stryker and Van Buskirk, p. 46 and close to 400 people ordered copies. KQED syndicated The Rejected to NET channels across the country; it aired on as many of 40 of the 55 NET stationsWitt, et al., p. 108 and was repeated on educational stations in 1963 and 1964.Capsuto, p. 46 Conservative members of the gay community were pleased with how the Mattachine members presented themselves as ordinary people, an image that differed from the perception held by many outside the community. Some more radical activists, including Frank Kameny and Randy Wicker, found the program wanting for the apologetic tone it took toward homosexuality.Capsuto, pp. 40–41
