although some of his suggestions parallel theirs.

Kardiner's 'views on homosexuality are only very incompletely indicated in the following quotations: "All homosexuality can come only through the developmental route... It is not contagious. It does not pass from person to person. It grows from a social condition that strikes those who have a developmental vulnerability and an acquired weakness in masculinity.".,

"Homosexuality is a perversion that for ages has been treated with penal measures. The fact is, that with a will? ing partner it is no more damaging socially than is coitus with a female. The case is different when the partner is unwilling, but, except in rare cases, homosexuals do not pursue unwilling partners. The only damage that might come to society from homosexuality would be a rise in its incidence so high as to endanger procreation. Notwithstanding a considerable increase in male homosexuality, there is' little danger of its affecting the birth rate materially.

"The massive increase in homosexuality is a sympton of grave social dislocation... we know now that terrorism is not the implement to use, and tolerance for homosexuality, is indifference and has nothing to contribute to the solution of the problem. Homosexuality, is a part of the price exacted by the pressures of Western civilization today and it cannot be treated as a local 'excrescence; it is a systemic disease and requires systemic treatment."

Clearly Kardiner's views give little aid and comfort On the one hand, the comto two groups in our society. placent, asocial variant who often. takes refuge in a. supposed biological basis for his deviation is confronted with the fact that that deviation is largely the result of social and developmental forces which can be dealt with, if there is sufficient motivation, in a way in which biological factors could not be controlled. If the variant rejects modern knowledge and is unhappy or antisocial, it is pretty largely his own fault.

On the other hand, the self-appointed moral crusaders who would castigate, persecute and extirpate the sex variant ▾ like a weed in a social garden are told that their would-be victims are not evolutionary freaks, but products of family and social forces. Therefore, violence would not materially reduce the deviation and would only work gross injustice on 24 mattachine REVIEW

human beings.

For both groups and all of us, minority and majority, the only reasonable course lies in selfand social-understanding. "For our survival," says Kardiner, "depends on how willing we are to engage in a little self-knowledge and self-direction,"

(1)The Sex Paradox. Putnam, 1953.

(2) Sex Ethics and the Kinsey Reports. Association Press, 1953.

a problem

As a national educational and research agency on be ha‍lf of the sex-variant, The Mattachine Society is faced with many problems not necessarily common to other organizations of this type that delve into less emoțional and complex subjects. The Society must, therefore, govern its actions to fit the realities of this particular situation, knowing that even the truth if not, crammed down peoples' throats.

Our problems arise from the problems of individualsboth those who, for explanatory purposes, might be termed the non-sex-variant and the others who might be termed the sex-variant. We must attempt to awaken both of these groups awareness of higher personal and social values.

Reckless

either

and unjust actions on the part of one individual group weaken's both groups and is a danger to himself as well. All must condition themselves to act and react intelligently and with forethought of the consequences so that it becomes a habit.

•

The success of this conditioning depends on a long process of teaching oneself to live with others who are individuals just as yourself, with individual traits, habits, desires, drives, etc. We cannot cut ourselves off from our families or our friends, for we are dependent people! Similarly one aroun cannot organize itself to separate itself

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