First of all, I think that everyone who wishes to do so could. usefully begin by making an honest self-criticism of their own lives and characters, seeing if they could be more objective about them and moving towards a better outlook in themselves. And those who are homosexual must be sufficiently honest with themselves to think seriously about some of the most common criticisms of homosexuals which are made by the public at large, in the Press, in Parliament and so forth, even if they feel that these criticisms are largely unfounded and born of ignorance. I would ask everyone, nevertheless, to try and think what they can do about these things, both as individuals and as members of a community; and in discussing them, I would like people also to speculate how far the situation with respect to these matters will or ought to be different a few years after the law has been changed?

The first of these very common criticisms is that far too many homosexuals are indiscriminately promiscuous, and that they positively enjoy indulging in furtive and sordid sexual activities, often in public places-not merely because they are forced to do this, but because they prefer it that way and get a kick out of it. Possibly there are far worse things than promiscuity; and much of the public misbehaviour which goes on may not bother anybody else. But, to say the least, it does not help to improve the public's idea of homosexuals one little bit; and I think we should lose no opportunity of stressing that the present state of the law against private relationships tends to increase the amount of promiscuous and public misbehaviour, rather than to curb it.

Then there is the common belief that homosexuals are a danger to youth, because they would all like to seduce teenagers if they got the chancé. This also may be a wild exaggeration, but I cannot help being conscious that behaviour of this sort does go on. Of course, it is unrealistic to expect that teenagers who are homosexual will happily refrain from all sexual activity until they reach their twenty-first birthday; and it may be that implementation of the Wolfenden Report will create a difficult situation for youngsters if the law is altered to make twenty-one the consenting age. As you know, the Homosexual Law Reform Society stands for the Wolfenden Report, and for this particular recommendation; but I think there is no harm in discussing its possible consequences. Perhaps, with the spreading frankness that there is these days about heterosexual teenagers' sexual activities, there may also come about a greater degree of frankness and understanding about homosexual teenage behaviour as well. But it would surely be a good thing for anyone who does have contact with teenagers in this category to think very hard about the desirability, in their own best interests, of discouraging them from a path which we all know is fraught with personal difficulties and dangers, and also with some inevitable unhappiness.

In Towards a Quaker View of Sex, the authors deny the notion that all homosexual relationships are necessarily sinful just because they

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are homosexual. This is rather a remarkable view for a Christian body to put forward, and some of the Press commentaries on the Quaker report have said, quite rightly, that it is not remarkable so much for what it says, but it is remarkable because of the people who are saying it, as this is the first time that a Christian group. has come out so clearly and explicitly in favour of revising entirely our ideas about what is and what is not sinful. To the Quakers, what matters is the quality and depth of any human relationship-the extent of sincere care and feeling for the other person. It is this which determines whether or not any relationship, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is good or evil. "Members of this group", they say,

"have been depressed quite as much by the utter abandon of many homosexuals, especially those who live in homosexual circles as such, as by the absurdity of the condemnation rained down upon the well-behaved. One must disapprove the promiscuity and selfishness, the utter lack of any real affection, which is the stamp of so many adult relationships, heterosexual as well as homosexual. We see nothing in them often but thinly disguised lust, unredeemed by that real concern which has always been the essential Christian requirement in a human relationship. But it is also obvious that the really promiscuous and degraded homosexual has not been helped by the total rejection he has had to face. Society has not said 'if you do that, that is all right, but as to the other, we cannot approve of that'. It has said 'whatever you do must be wrong: indeed you are wrong'. We must consider whether it is not the relationship that matters, rather than the acts that it may involve. Then homosexuals will be helped to face the moral implications of thin selfish relationships, and society will accept homosexuals as human beings."" This brings me on to my third critical talking point. It has been said that homosexuals can usually have some lovers and plenty of acquaintances, but they have very few friends. Is this true, and if so need it be true? Is there anything, in other words, in the essential nature of a homosexual which makes him inevitably bound to be more self-centred and less capable of friendship than a heterosexual is, because he is unreliable, or even downright dishonest, in his treatment of other people? I do not think so, and I know a lot of homosexuals who are the opposite of all these things. But there are also a great many who are like this, and what can we do to persuade them that it is unnecessary, and a mistake, both for themselves and for everyone else?

In Holland, there exists an organisation called the C.O.C., which you may have read about recently in The Observer. It has worked for sixteen years with considerable success to foster a degree of esprit de corps among both men and women homosexuals in a way which unfortunately is still impossible here until the law is changed, but which points a way ahead. This is much more than just a social club, although there is quite a good clubhouse. They aim at helping people to resolve their personal problems in the most fruitful and constructive way that they can; and wherever possible, to establish permanent relationships based on affection in place of *19th January, 1963. 'A Club for Homosexuals', by Roy Perrott.