the greater impact of Christianity. Neither of these codes provide much room for "deviant" (ergo, homosexual) behavioral patterns. Tentatively, one might suggest a fourth code, one which appears to be gaining acceptance; that code might be called the "rationalistic-scientific." That is, the grow ing body of scientific data on actual sexual behavior (as opposed to ideal behavior), increased knowledge about contraception and birth control, dissemination of this knowledge via mass communication media, the “population-explosion," changing marital norms, and generally more liberal tendencies may all be contributing to a changing social climate wherein the sexual "variant" might gain acceptance. The growing public controversy about sexual values, and the very existence of such open and organized homosexual groups as the Mattachine Society, One Incorporated and others are evidences for this proposition.

At any rate, most societies have sought to regulate sexual behavior by some method beyond mere informal social control. (e.g., shunning and ostracism). Therefore, these sexual values and mores have been codified into systems of laws. As a homosexual spoke of these sanction-patterns and the quasi-criminal status of homosexuals: "A man who feels an attraction towards other men is a social misfit only; once he gives way to that attraction he becomes a criminal."16 The fact is that many of these laws have run the same historical route as their attendant attitudes, and in many cases are as much in need of periodic re-examination (and possibly more so, for through cultural lag the laws may be out of line with prevailing social attitudes, not to mention "reality" as it is currently perceived).

The Interaction Between Society and the Homosexual

The effects of the application of these codified social sanctions constitute a whole area much in need of sociological (and psychological, medical and legal) research. It may, however, be pertinent to outline a few of these effects and thus set up the background for the reaction aspect (both societal and homosexual) of the second two-sided coin: the action-reaction patterns.

Firstly, concerning sexual conduct in the large, the present state of most of the laws is one that is extremely out of touch with the reality of behavior. Kinsey and others have demonstrated this. A general hypocrisy results from this gap between real and ideal behavior, and the laws may come to be honored more in their breach than in their observance. When laws are in this state, and when periodic and often arbitrary enforcement occurs (e.g., the sporadic "raids" and cleanups, and political maneuvers) the whole system 16. Peter Wilde blood, Against the Law, p. 3.

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may become a mockery. This, of course, affects the "deviants" as well as the society at large.

Ill-defined laws and more or less secretive application of them tend to foster prejudicial sanctions, so that some groups are caused to suffer more than others of the same nature (i.e., the social status and the "visibility" of the deviants). Also, there tends to develop an inconsistency between the nature of the deviation and the severity of the punishment-individuals are often singled out as "examples." In fine, the "authorities," like the laws which they enforce, may become unresponsive to the desires of the people. Perhaps, then, the most significant aspects of social control are the form. alized control groups themselves. Special interest groups such as churches, P.T.A.s, women's clubs and fraternal organizations are probably "neces sary" conservative and balancing forces for general social stability. Polit ical, judicial and law enforcement control agencies may, however, exceed this function, and may even act largely in their own interests. The last San Francisco mayoral election presents a case in point. One aspirant to office, Russell Wolden, sought to gain public support by a campaign of "exposure" with a promise to "clean up" the homosexual problem in this city. He sought, in short, to magnify and exploit public sentiment for his personal ends. Whether he was "sincere" in his efforts or not, does not alter the point.

The assertion by many homosexuals that officials who vigorously strive against them are "jealous," are "suppressed homosexuals" themselves, are "fanatical sadists," are airing personal grievances or are in need of ready-made scapegoats may be dismissed largely as rationalizations and verbal counter attacks in the same manner that like assertions about public attitudes were rejected. There are undoubtedly cases of this type in existtence, but a more likely explanation may be found in the needs of certain policemen to fill "arrest quotas," and more generally, to demonstrate to higher officials and to the public that they are doing something. Graft and bribery (recall the recent San Francisco "gayola" trials) also tend to flourish in this atmosphere. The crucial point is that persecutory and descriminative control practices do exist, regardless of the specific reasons, and this alone would point towards a re-examination of the laws and their application.

Looking at the net results of this legal and extra-legal aspect of the problem, a significant one is that these waning social attitudes are often reinforced and perpetuated by the occasional exploitation of them. This may, at first glance, seem to be a contradiction of the position taken previously that when the laws lag behind actual behavior they are ignored or honored in their breach. However, laws are only ignored and spurned up to a statistical point which may be called the "tolerance-limit."17 At this limit the 17. This is not analogous with Lemert's "tolerance quotient." op. cit., pp. 57-58.

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