cite the unfathomable patience with which the Jews have endured all the misery which was brought upon them in the course of centuries; in a way, almost "as if they had looked for it and deserved it." Of course, these are all unconscious processes. The a way individual behaves in all psychological common to mass situations.

In any case it can be easily proven that the prejudice of a majority also becomes the prea minority against judice of which the bias of the majority was originally directed. Hence we find the disposition towards an apology concerning homosexuality in scientific papers-maybe even in this one—as well as in articles written within the ranks of the homosexuals themselves. Therefore we will be unable to learn anything new either from the scientific aspect of things or from the legal point of view. Wherever we stand we should call to mind the reasonable aspect of the matter

If prejudices and laws condition each other, and if history as it applies to Germany especially shows that laws are still more variable than prejudices or the "people's voice," it would seem rather reasonable to deliberate on the brigin of the bias against homosexuality. Our effort should be to do what still wants doing, not be concerned only with what has been done.

In other words: homosexualbehavior ity and homosexual and life are in no way problems in and of themselves. They are made problems by any given majority and its prejudices. Under the influence of the latter. the minority learns to look at it-

self in a biased way as something problematic. As mentioned above the unholy ability to succumb to prejudice is not bound to any particular direction of the sexual drive. In the American Journal of Psychotherapy, April 1952, p. 357, Dr. Harry Benjamin summarizes as follows: "If adjustment is necessary, it should be made primarily with regard to the position the homosexual occupies in present day society and society should more often be the patient to be treated than the invert."

Contemplating mankind time and space, no "natural" or if one prefers the term, biological" repulsion against homosexual behavior and inclination can be traced. The much used term "against nature" is utterly ridiculous and cannot stand up against scientific or reasonable analysis, as long as such analysis is able to keep itself free There from bias. have been enough recorded instances in

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which science and reason have been as one to show this to be true. I cannot give here a detailed enumeration of the conditions from which the thousandsof-years-old unfavorable criticism and prejudice against homosexuality have stemmed. I will refer only to the unrivaled paper by the Dutch psychiatrist Dr. C. van Emde Boas about the Sociogenesis of a Vital Aversion (Soziogenese einer 'vitalen' abneig ung). On the whole a repressive process has taken place similar to that which we find in the individual case of a so-called latent homosexual. His overstrong aversion and reactionformation against any homosexual behavior or temptation are fed by his unconscious desire for this very same thing. This unconscious desire, together with his unconscious guilt guilt feelings about having it, may easily render him a very sick, and often seriously ill. human being; see my paper "About the Treatment of Homosexuality" (Uber die Behandlung der Homosexualitat) However, such an apparently simple explanation of the pro. cess of repression on the whole would not be the only decisive element; first we would have to ask how such an overall repression could have occurred and secondly we would have to consider the fact that the aversion against homosexuality found in our days is also seen with people who by no means are themselves latent homosexuals. The proba bility of everybody possessing some homosexual tendencies can be disregarded here entirely. Finally the conclusion certainly would be that every wrong member of other cultures or of

ancient times would be or would have been a homosexual. The critical point seems to be that the role, rank and position of sexuality as such with other nations, cultures and in ancient times have been a fundamentally different one from that in Occidental culture.

A careful, reasoned study of the development of that culture shows that aversion, hatred and prejudice against homosexuality by no means stem from a "vital". "natural" or "biological" force directed against this kind of sexual outlet -or this kind of love

The idea that the majority of people are latent homosexuals will have to be discarded, too, in explaining the prejudice against homosexuality. This bias derives ultimately from everybody's (mostly unconscious) severe guilt feelings towards sexuality 1.5 such. The sexual instinct, with its possibility of homosexual expression, more than distinctly demonstrates that it has a peremptory, vital function and meaning even without the purpose of propagation. The homosexual propensity is made the prototype of the forbidden, the disquieting; it becomes the complete precedent of sexual freedom and is thus exposed to a general sexual "grudge" which originally was not expressly directed

against this particular kind of sexual behavior. These thoughts illuminate, perhaps, more than the traditional ones the precipitous profundity of the bias against homosexuality and they may, as well, explain the difficulties which so far have wrecked the attempts of upright and unprejudiced people to prevail upon the authorities to as-