The faded fairies of the Parisian bars continually invoke Socrates, Michel Angelo, Shakespeare... and André Gide. I should invoke them with contrary intent. Michel Angelo counseled the practice of homosexuality to his pupils in order to sharpen their sensitivity; he saw therein a struggle of the artist towards his own image, a form of introspection, the complement and equivalence of beauty and the endeavor of research which develop in the homosexual an ultimate refinement. A ware and receptive being. Madame Simone de Beauvoir, in a chapter of "Le Deuxième Sexe" devoted to lesbianism, points out the possessive ardour of the homosexual, who experiences twofold physical and spiritual emotion his own through the passion of his mate. In short, he is molded on suffering by unstable loves, but however worn by this suffering, remains in constant search for youth, for re-creation.
If this be true, that the homosexual is poet, sensitive like woman, but with the power of creative expression that she lacks, he is all the more so an "enfant terrible" of humanity. It is on the brink of imminent catastrophe that "enfants terribles" appear...... should we then be astonished that our era favours their assertion? Let us rather wonder at our astonishment!
Quoted with permission of the author from "Id-Janus" 1953
Reprinted from the NEWSLETTER
of the International Committee for Sex Equality
January-February 1954
PENNY-A-DAY FUND
Since this fund was first established, as result of an article in the September 1953 issue, small contributions have come in, but the total has not amounted to $100. Nevertheless, the Fund has been used to send single copies and a few subscriptions to: editors, ministers, lawyers, judges and other public officials. It has provided the postage for many letters which have been written regarding the rights of homosexual American citizens to both friendly and unfriendly organizations and individuals. If ONE's readers are genuinely interested and show it by active support of the Fund, secretarial help can be employed and a larger program attempted. Bureau of Public Information
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