WHO'S SICK?

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On Wednesday, January 13, 1954, the weekly forum was held at the First Unitarian Church of Miami, Florida. The topic Homosexuality: Cause, Society, and Crime. It is not unusual for the Unitarian Church to sponsor the discussion of problems facing minority groups, but the attendance at this particular session broke all existing records. It shows that this much hidden subject is finally coming out from behind the clouds and being sanely evaluated by responsible persons.

The panel was composed of the Honorable Abe Aronovitz, Mayor of the City of Miami: Dr. Svvil Marquit, Psychologist; and Dr. Jack Kapschan, of the psychology department of the University of Miami. Moderator was Dr. Alvin Winder, Psychologist, Veterans Administration.

It's a Symptom

The discussion was opened by Dr. Kapschan's definition of homosexuality which included the phrase: sexual relations between members of the same sex. He quoted Dr. Kinsey's statistics which maintain that 37 to 50 percent of Americans have had some homosexual experience, then referred to a study of three New Guinea tribes, in the first of which both sexes were found to be predominently feminine, in the second both sexes were masculine by our standards, and in the third tribe the male was passive and performed the household chores, while the female was aggressive and performed the heavy work. Although homosexuality is forbidden by law, according to Dr. Kapschan, it is a quite common practice; not a disease, but a symptom.

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Short Line at the Clinic

The second speaker, Dr. Marquit, based his statements on observation and case histories of his patients. "I have a disease. I don't like it, but I can't help it. Life is intolerable" was the general attitude of those coming to him for help, but that many others, who do not go to the clinic, say "I'm happy the way I am and don't want to change." He also stated that he has seen definite homosexual tendencies in a three year old child, and that the human child if left alone would develop naturally to be predominently masculine or feminine unless something entered to direct the child in a path of homosexuality such as love or fear of a parent or fear of authority.

Whose Rights Shall We Consider?

The third speaker, Mayor Aronovitz, first professed his ignorance of the subject and explained that, in his desire to please, he had instructed his secretary to accept all speaking engagements. He said that there are three or four places in Miami where homosexuals gather, but that the proprietors were not in business to help these people, only to profit monetarily from their suffering. He said that he didn't want Miami known as a haven for homosexuals or divorce getting or any other criminals, but that homosexuals should not be persecuted or hounded, because they were undoubtedly suffering from a sickness of the mind. To conclude, he added, "They certainly need kindly understanding, but whose rights shall we consider?"

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