of a female, and from time to time father children.

One of the earliest anthropological scholars who gave important consideration to homosexual love was Edward Westermarck, the Finnish scholar who became a professor at the University of London and who spent many years living in Tangier and studying the culture of the Moroccan peoples. One of his first statements concerning this topic of some length is contained in his two-volume work entitled The Origin and Development of Moral Ideas which was first published in 1908. In addition to his first-hand observations in Morocco, Westermarck culled the literature and gave the world view of homosexual love. In his chapter entitled "Homosexual Love," Westermarck wrote the following: "It is frequently met with among the lower animals. It probably occurs, at least sporadically, among every race of mankind. And among some peoples it has assumed such proportions as to form a true national habit." Westermarck continues: "In America homosexual customs have been observed among a great number of native tribes. In nearly every part of the continent there seems to have been, since ancient times, men dressing themselves in the clothes and performing the functions of women, and living with other men as their concubines or wives."

In a long footnote Westermarck cites early travelers' accounts and lists the tribes or areas where homosexual activity is accepted. Among the areas and groups listed in the New World are Brazil and Peru in South America, the Maya of Yucatan and the Aztec of Mexico; in the United States, the Indians of Texas, the Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes, the Plains (Sioux, Mandan and Omaha) and in Canada (Cree). The Indians of California are named, both the Indian and Eskimo of the Aleutian Islands and Kodiak Island.

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Berdachism has also been considered in several more recent studies. It is one of the subjects of the Human Relations Area File of Yale University, and has been analyzed and published in a book entitled Patterns of Sexual Behavior by Ford and Beach, 1951. Seventy-six typical societies around the world were studied and the position of homosexuality in each was analyzed. Among 36% of the societies, according to the sources available, homosexuality was not approved, although frequently reported as present. Sixty-four percent of the societies of the world studied approved some form of homosexuality and had institutionalized berdachism. The American Indian tribes listed by Ford and Beach as having institutionalized approved homosexuality for males were the following: For South America, the Aymara of Peru, the Tupinamba of the southeastern coast of Brazil, and the Witoto of the headwaterx of the Amazon along the Ecuadorian-Brazilian border; for North America, Creek and Seminole of the southeast, the Oto, Menom inee and Naskapi for the northeastern states, the Crow, Hidatsa, Mandan, Omaha, Ponca of the Plains area, the Pueblo Indians, Zuni and Hopi of the southwest; also for the southwest the non-Pueblo tribes, Maricopa, Navajo, Papago and the 14 mattachine REVIEW

Yuma; the Tubatalubal of California and the Quinalt of Washington for the Pacific Coast. There is a clear record for these tribes that males indulged in anal inter-

course.

(In the concluding instalment of this article to appear in the next issue, Dr. Stewart continues his discussion of berdachism among American Indians, and moves on to the origin of homosexuality in New World aborigines, where his study takes readers to Siberia and its institution of Shaminism. A bibliography will be included with this final instalment also.)

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The call for legal reform in England which gained terrific impetus from the Wolfenden Committee recommendations of two years ago, is being pressed with an increasing tempo by the Homosexual Law Reform Society of London. This is a body of more than 100 leading figures in British life today. Included on its roster are many clergymen, public officials, members of parliament, attorneys, educators, writers, doctors and social scientists. The item below, "Will You Let This Chaos Continue," is a recent leaflet mailed out by the HRLS. This group deserves fullest possible support from throughout the British Commonwealth and the United States, because these countries represent the areas where anti-homosexual attitudes and legal oppression are most severe.

WILL YOU LET THIS CHAOS CONTINUE?

Reform of the homosexual laws is long overdue. The Wolfenden recommendations must be made law soon. Already:—

THE LAW IS IN CONTEMPT.

More and more judges are giving absolute discharges for behaviour which others still persist in punishing by imprisonment. The public is becoming increasingly aware of the absurdity and injustice of the criminal law's interference in men's private lives. If the law continues to go against the public conscience it can only be regarded with contempt. THE PROBLEM IS BEING MADE WORSE.

The present law gives no incentive to homosexuals to keep to men of their own age-group rather than associate with young people. Knowing that any sexual behaviour on their part is illegal, they can all too easily be driven to adopt an irresponsible attitude. The social problem of homosexuality can be tackled constructively, but the present law makes this work impossible. Until the law is changed, the problem is likely to grow 15

worse.