by her slovenly ways in the house after he comes home from work. He has been drinking to forget it and she drinks to keep up with him.

Several years ago the fellow concerned talked to me and his big complaint was her untidiness. This seems exaggerated but nice surroundings are highly important to these boys.

The second of my reasons is that the homosexual does not want to extend himself emotionally for fear of being hurt. Idealism and sensitivity are two very pronounced characteristics of the invert. I see this extreme idealism in my boys all the time. I have in mind one who has gone off the deep end several times since I have been acquainted with him. He talks to me about the new friend who has the same tastes that he has. They both like opera and curry and bicycling and swimming at night. But after they have moved in together, everyday living with its small irritations is too much and there is another move.

There is a third reason in this list. It is the dislike of assuming responsibilities. Many of my boys have had too much responsibility too early and after being set free of this they refuse to accept another liability.

I'm thinking of Larry, whose father was so interested in ward politics that his wife and later Larry, at 15, worked to keep the household (including two other children) in food and clothing. At 16, Larry was earning more than his father. Later when Larry's mother passed on, he moved away and started acquiring some of the nice things he had longed for earlier. He is established now, but his extra time and money are going into a college education. He draws back from the emotional trap of marriage.

The fourth and most powerful reason for not marrying is the divorce laws. These fellows feel that the cards are stacked against them. Regardless of whether the girl knows beforehand or if she discovers the homosexual trait after marriage, the result is gener ally the same. She can use this as a lever when she demands alimony. He is in a cleft stick. Pay up or be exposed in court and lose his job. Even if he is in business for himself, he does not dare risk the publicity.

In the past year I have been watching a most tragic story unfold. Dave is a quiet, lovable young man who went to high school and has kept in touch with part of his high school gang. He has brought in two or three of this group, none of whom were homosexual. They were aware of this side of his life but loved him for himself. A 10

mattachine REVIEW

girl from the former high school group set her cap for Dave. It was quite apparent to me. There was never any discussion about his homosexual side, but she was aware of it as shown by an occasional statement. They were married and Dave was honor bright in his attempt to make this marriage successful. He is very fond of children and they agreed that she would work until a possible pregnancy. They made no effort to prevent this happening and in a few weeks he informed me that he was to be a father and his face was aglow with unmistakable pride.

Dave and his wife had bought new furniture for an apartment, go ing in debt for it. Within three months, in fact as soon as she was positive that she was to have a child, she told him she didn't want to be married. She gave no reason. She had no complaints about his conduct. She just went into the bedroom after dinner, laid on the bed and read. Dave figured that it was a quirk of pregnancy. He was as kind and thoughtful as he could be.

She kept stating that she did not want to be married, that she wanted a divorce. Her parents argued with her, but she was adamant. She went to a lawyer and got a divorce in her fifth or sixth month of pregnancy. She never actually used the homosexual side of his life as a threat, but the thought hovered there. As she got nearer to her time, she quit work. There was a legal agreement about costs of confinement and the period after the baby's birth. She is working now, her mother cares for the baby and Dave gets to see the little one once a week and take pictures of her, which he brings in for me to see.

When the rift first appeared, I was convinced that her actions could be caused by nutritional deficencies, but as the case advanced it was obvious to me that hers was a deliberate program. Here was a way to have a legitimate child and be certain there would be no fight when she made the break. She moved 25 miles away, making his weekly visit a hardship of Sunday driving. This action of hers not only spoiled this marriage but it will successfully prevent many others from trying to establish a heterosexual home.

Homosexuality, from my viewpoint, is not primarily based on sex urges. There is a meeting of the minds and an attitude toward life that I do not see in heterosexual life. Possibly the homosexual's hesitance in assuming family life is the basis of the light, airy mannerisms that show so plainly. The quick wit, the saber thrusts at the weak points in another's armor, the spontaneous ingenuity in creating art and beauty are traits prevalent in this group. The 11

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