a line between things you dis approve of and things you want to change by law

Dr. Bowman took the view that it is society that determines what is a sex offense rather than some universal moral law.

"The society in which one lives," he said, "decides what sort of sexual behavior can be practiced and what type of sexual behavior would be forbidden by law.

"These forbidden practices are commonly referred to as perversions."

PROTECTION

He added that society had the "right to protect itself against certain behavior, such as sexual crimes of violence and against young children" and should use strong laws lo do so.

Present attitudes toward homosexuality, Dr. Bowman said, "are largely inherited from and based on an ancient Jewish code of 2000 years ago

Early Christians referred to sodomy as "the abominable sin not fit to be named among Christians" and punished it with death by burial alive.

Biologically, the psychia trist remarked, there "is no such thing as a perversion."

Dr. Bowman said he was also against any law which sexual... interfered with the sexual life of married people, such as laws depriving them of birth control information.

"A great many books on marriage counseling recommend acts which are felonies in most of our states," he said.

HOMOSEXUALITY

Most of his talk, however, centered on homosexuality. "I agree homosexuality per se is not an offense and all laws should take this into consid eration," he said.

Yet California has passed progressively sterner laws against "anyone guilty of this infamous crime against nature,"—in the language of the California Penal Code-until the present point where it can theoretically be punished by life imprisonment.

The Federal Government takes an even sterner view of the offense, he continued. "In the Federal Government an inductee risks a blue dis charge because of homosex. ual tendencies as well as homosexual acts."

Using the "tendency" test a psychiatrist could "justly label a large segment of our population as latent," he said.

In fact, the doctor declared the latent homosexual ele ment in many persons is a roadblock to solving the prob lem

"It is possible." he said, "that the tremendous amount of emotion often aroused against homosexuality js largely due to stirring up of the individual's own repressed or latent impulses.

The test of latent homosexu. ality, he indicated, would make it fairly easy for a psychiatrist to label justly "a large segment of our population as latent."

In fact, the doctor declared, the very problem of homosexuality may fall short of being solved because of the latent element existing in many per

sons.

mattachine REVIEW

EMOTION

"It is probable," he said, that the tremendous amount of emotion often aroused against homosexuality is largely due

to stirring up of the individual's own repressed or latent impulses.

"And therefore many per sons who can discuss murder and other serious crimes in a calm, intelligent manner cannot discuss homosexuality without becoming highly emotional."

He urged that California

legislators should get behind "a serious study by a quali• fied group in California going over the whole problem of homosexuality and perversions and getting recommendations.

Dr. Bowman is a past presi dent of the American Psychiatric Society. He has had for years challenging views on our sex laws.

Note: The two paragraphs in the story above that are identical except for o single word, have been reprinted here just as they appeared originally.

The above report was published in the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. Two days later, however, the report below appeared in the SAN FRANCISCO NEWS, telling of a stroke of censorship applied by an Ook. land, Calif., radio station, which decided not to air the talk. (The station is owned by the OAKLAND TRIBUNE).

Radio Station Rejects Scholarly Sex Speech

Radio KLX refused to broad cast a scholar's discussion of sex laws before the Common wealth Club, The News has learned.

The Oakland station has been carrying the club's lectures for many years, but for the first time declined to do so.

THE LECTURE was by Dr Karl Bowman, professor emeritus at UC, retired head of Lang. ley Porter Clinic, and an internationally-known authority on the sex legislation.

In his speech, Dr Bowman contended that society should not try to govern sexual behavior to the extent that it does. And he added that laws cannot con-

trol homosexuality

KLX Station Mgr. Bud Foster said he had received many calls asking why the program had been dropped

"It was one of those ticklish things," he said "It was an excellent speech, but sore of those words shouldn't go on radio."

BEFORE THE speech was to be aired, the Commonwealth Club sent Foster and Central Valley stations that were to carry it this wire

"In view varying individual station policies, suggest check tape Dr. Bowman's Common-