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logical analysis. A Gay man knows a man's body. He knows where the most stimulating erogenous zones are and is familair with the various sexual options available to his physique. A study by Martin Weinberg and Colin Williams of the Kinsey Institute reported last year that. 55% of 1,057 Gay males had engaged in several sexual practices mutual masturbation, giving and receiving fellatio, and anal intercourse. It is apparent that experimentation abounds in homosexual contacts. Conversely, two non-Gay people need a good deal more instruction and practice before the act is mutually satisfying. Inhibited by initial embarrassments, they may not exchange the knowledge of sensitive areas to each other, making their encounter a hit-and-miss affair. So far as experimentation is concerned, not surprisingly, there are more than a few non-Gays who are stuck in the missionary position.

Is it then possible that homosexuality is in reality more natural than its counterpart? Perhaps not. But the evidence is convincing that non-closet Gays have a much healthier attitude toward sex than many heterosexuals. In the Gay world, sex is a good deal more casual than in the straight. Lacking any cultural taboo, sex for sex's sake is the rule rather than the exception, leaving many Gays greater flexibility to choose their friends and compatriots. A prominent myth concerning Gays is that they are especially creative and gifted. Scientifically, of couse, there is no method to prove or disprove this belief; yet major figures like Tchaikovsky, Handel, E. M. Forester, Tennessee Williams, Noel Coward, Kate Millet, James Baldwin, Gertrude Stein, ruman Capote, and Michelangelo lend some credence to the theory's continued existence.

It is said proportionately that there are more Gays in literature, music, painting, philosophy, dance, and the theatre than in other occupations. Why? The reasons are complex and objectively can only appear as speculation. An individual's homosexuality may itself be a source of emotional struggle or joy. Self-acceptance or the lack of it is crucial to the course of one's behavior. Since people have different ways of dealing with their emotions, some may express it creatively. Art can also be an affirmation of personal worth, a source of self-respect. Regardless of how harshly one is judged by society, one can assert his validity through creativity. A work of art, becomes something outside of the creator and is evaluated on its own merits. Art work also has a permanence, a life that transcends mortality and can offer the same satisfaction as children do for heterosexuals.

The problem with such explanations, however, is that hey may be just as easily applied to heterosexuals as to Gays. Upon deeper analysis, we discover that in our cultural traditions certain roles have been prescribed for the minorities within them. For centuries, it has been more acceptable for indivduals in arts and entertainment to be homosexual. han for others. Indeed, some artistic professions have been viewed as the almost exclusive province of homosexuals. his, in part, is largely due to the Wesern notions of masculine and feminine prescriptions. The. artist is expected to be imagina ive, intuitive, and usually subjective. By definition, men were purportedly not like this, so creativity emerged as a "feminine" trait. As such, while Gays were encouraged in the arts, non-Gays were not. Again, the social structure presents Gays with a blessing in disguise an open market to develop our inner potentials.

Increasingly, old myths about homosexuality are being laid to rest. 'he more we learn of the reality of each other's life styles, the more proud we genuinely feel. Are homosexuals superior to non-Gays? Objectively, ce might have to answer no; but subjectively, I can say that I am just a little sharper than a comparable straight. In the long run, when people of all sexual orientations feel free to enjoy their full scope of sexuality, the notion of one type of sex being better than another will probably vanish, as will the rigid distinction between heterosexual and homosexual behavior. For a future ideal goal, this is what we must all Gay and non-Gay alikestrive for. In the meantime, Gays can unabashadly emphasize the positive characteristics of their life styles; for surely, they are innumerable.