SOCIETY

'v.'

the Homosexual

& THE ARTICULATE REACTION

by MARK L. SEWELL

Homosexuality, whatever this variously-defined term may denote to the particular individual, presents one of the major social problems of contemporary American urban society. There has, from time to time, been considerable public and official attention focused upon this phenomenon; the question arises, therefore, why there has been relatively little academic and scientific concern (particularly of a sociological nature) about the matter. It is the aim of the author to present a useful-albeit exploratory-"social problems approach" to the subject on the pages to follow.

It was stated that there seems to be a paucity of systematic sociological research concerning the social problem of homosexuality. This is not to say, by any means, that there is not a great deal of liature about the subject— scholarly and otherwise. However, most of the scientific work that has been conducted to this date is psychologically oriented and centers around such aspects of the problem as causation (generally, protagonists of one side or the other of the nature-nurture "dichotomy"), treatment and cure prognoses and methods, the nature of personal-social "adjustments" and various psychological and pathological implications; in short, the individualistic approach has prevailed. Medical research has begun to pick up momentum too, but a goodly portion of this seems to be concerned with questions of glandular imbalances.

Certain members of the legal and criminological fields have come much closer to contributing data of the type that is pertinent to a social-problems mattachine REVIEW

approach. However, the main portion of this seems to be concerned with definitive aspects of the question. Particularly in England this kind of research has been carried forth. The Wolfenden Report1 was a monumental

step in this direction.

Kinsey2 has recently conducted the most far-reaching studies as to the nature and extent of social attitudes and practices about the whole gamut of human sexual behavior. Although the scientific validity of some of his work should be (and has been) questioned, he probably has been largely responsible for bringing the subject into the open more than has been done in recent history. He has thus enabled the problem of homosexuality to be more realistically appraised by the public and has opened new vistas for (sociological) research about both sides of the problem. Incidentally, both of these effects have had much to do with the increased ability of the "articulate leaders" (to be discussed below) of the homosexual "minority" to operate.

The phrase "this phenomenon" that was used in the opening paragraph was not done so naively, but is indicative of a major assumption of this study. It would be utter folly to assume, as so many writers on the subject have done, that homosexuality is really a single, homogeneous entity. Neither can it be realistically seen as "a way of life" ("homosexualism")} as others have expressed it. In the same manner as any other generalized behavioral and attitudinal pattern-eg. neuroses, leadership, crime or love

homosexuality is impossible to define empirically as a single entity because it is many entities. There are degrees of behavioral participation ranging from the reputed "latent" homosexual, to the one-time experimentor (the "oncer"), to the occasional participant, to the "bi-sexual" person, all the way to the exclusive homosexual who has never had a heterosexual experience. Homosexuality also exists on all levels of "social visibility," but partly because sexual behavior in most forms is relatively concealed in American culture, most homosexuality is, likewise, of a covert nature. Thus, it is doubly difficult to classify homosexuality empirically, either singly or in large categories.

The demographic aspects of homosexuals are equally as varieble. Depending upon one's initial definition, the ages, occupations, socio-econom-

1. In September, 1957, the English Parliament received a report of a sweeping survey of homosexuality and the laws pertaining thereto. The investigating committee was appointed by that body and was headed by Sir John Wolfenden.

2. Alfred C. Kinsey, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female.

3. See, for instance, Harold L. Call's discussion in the transcript of the radio documentary: The Homosexual in Our Society, p. 7.

4. See Edwim M. Lemert, Social Pathology, pp. 51-53.