There are many psychiatrists who will grant that homosexual behavior in itself is not necessarily a symptom of personality disturbance or neurosis.

However, they say, as Dr. Robert Harper put it, "anyone who in this society confines his functioning exclusively to homosexuality is being nonrational . . . Anyone who holds rigidly to exclusive homosexuality is demonstrating his compulsive need for self-punishment and self-defeat."

The answer made by the Kinsey group to this type of argument is that no such generalization can be made.

"It may be true in some cases," they said, "that the engagement in an activity which is taboo in one's own society, or the failure to engage in an activity which is expected behavior in that particular culture, is an expression of some basic personality defect; but in other cases it may be a measure of strength, of a capacity to pursue one's own ends without worrying about the reactions of other people, or of an assurance that there will be no loss of a position which has been obtained through achievement in some field of social significance."

What then can we conclude? In the light of our present state of knowledge we must say, as did Dr. Harry Benjamin (after over forty years of observation and study), that no one has all the answers and that no one has more than a few scraps of knowledge and experience (SEXOLOGY, April 1958.

As Dr. Benjamin noted: "Homosexuality can have a wide variety of reasons and motivations. Many questions remain open. More research is urgently needed. Nobody knows as yet what is normal. We only know what is customary." Bibliography

(For articles I and II) Benjamin. Harry, M.D.: "Must the Homo. sexual Be Rejected?" SEXOLOGY, April, 1958.

Buckley, Rev. M. J.: Morality and the Homoserial, Newman, 1900. Curran, Desmond and Parr, Denis: "Homosexuality: An Analysis of 100 Male Cases Seen in Private Practice," Brit. Med. J., April 6, 1957.

East, Norwood, M. D.: Sexual Offenders. Delisle, 1955.

English, O. S. and Parson, G. H.: Emo-

tional Problems of Living, Norton, 1945. Ford, Clellan S. and Beach, Frank A.: Patterns of Sexual Behavior, Harper, 1952

Harner, Robert A.: "Can Homosexuals Be Changed?" SEXOLOGY, April, 1960. Kallmann, Franz J.: "Comparative Twin Study on the Genetic Aspects of Male Homosexuality," J. Nerv. and Mental Disease, 115:4, April, 1952. Kinsey, A. C. et al: Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, Saunders, 1948. Kinsey, A C. et al: Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, Saunders, 1953. Kinsey. A. C. et al: "Concepts of Normal. ity and Abnormality in Sexual Behavior." in Hoch and Zubin, ed.: Psychosexual Development in Health and Disease, Grune and Stratton, 1049.

Lee. M. R.: Glandular Treatment of Male Sex Offenders, Monograph issued by E. C. Brown Trust for the Committee on Sexual Deviations and Offenders. Oregon Coordinating Council on Social Hygiene and Family Life.

Liddicoat, Renée: Homosexuality: Results of a Survey as Related to Various Theories. An Unpublished Thesis submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. University of the Witwatersrand, Oct., 1956. Neustatter, W. Lindesay: "Homosexuality: The Medical Aspects," in They Stand Apart, Heinemann. 1955. Rubin, I.: "A Homosexual Doctor's Story." SEXOLOGY, Sept., 1960. Thompson, Clara: "Changing Concepts of Homosexuality in Psychoanalysis." "Am. J. Psychiat., Vol. X. 1947. Westwood, Gordon: Minority: A Report on the Life of the Male Homosexual in Great Britain, Longmans, Green, 1980. Report of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution (Wolfenden Report), H.M.S.O.. 1957.

A Reader Illustrates:

THE PAIN IN NOT RUNNING

by ROLLAND HOWARD

As a matter of policy, the REVIEW does not normally print or comment on anonymous communications, but an unsigned letter recently received so well represents a school of thought which might be considered an "internal enemy" for many homosexuals (and others, too), and is so intelligently presented that the editors thought it should not go unanswered.

For convenience, let us call our communicant Mr. Anon Y. Mous. In the very opening of his letter, even though it is an unsigned one, he reveals his basic guilts and fears by camouflaging his homophilic interests. "In the wake of publicity about cigar-store publications of lascivious intent," begins Mr. Mous, "a friend and I purchased a broad range of booklets which, from their covers, seemed to offer spicy contents. One of them was your REVIEW." It's all research, you see.

They (he and his friend) examined all the "other cheap, tawdry publications" in the same spirit in which they were purchased; namely, curiositybut read the REVIEW with "a great deal of interest." (Getting close to honesty there.) And now followed the complaints.

"I think it is a safe assumption that homophiles are pretty generally aware of you and your organizational aims," continues Mr. Mous, getting still more honest with us. "It therefore seems not only pointless but (for reasons I intend to cover) discouraging of sales to use cover art like that on the current issue." They had apparently picked up a copy of the September issue on which is reproduced a sketch called Sweat Pants by C. C. Hazard.

mattachine REVIEW