61.

The Homosexual Group. Hirschfeld and Hamburger alike found that the homosexuals among male transvestites constitute about one-third of all cases. Although this figure seems to be high, it is extremely low in comparison with the per- centage of homosexuality in female transvestites, who (ac- cording to Haburger) are literally all homosexual (18% with latent and 82% with overt homosexual behavior).

There might be several explanations of this fact.

1. Perhaps female transvestites, being temperamentally less stable, are less inhibited in a free expression of their homosexual tendencies. 2. Perhaps female transvestism is in fact only a "screen for homosexuality" (Stekel's phrase) or, 3, possibly the fact that in most western countries male homosexuality is punishable by law, whilst the female is not, acts as a deterrent for an overt expresssion of homosexual trends in many a male transvestite.

The Bi-Sexual type. According to Hirschfeld, this type contains about 15% of all transvestites, though the study of the literature may suggest that their number is much smaller than that. A typical example of a bisexual trans- vestite was the patient of G. Thompson, who at the age of seven engaged in homosexual activities with his elder brother; between 12 and 14 he cross dressed and played with dolls; he married at 31, had two children and contin- ued with his homo- and hetero-sexual activities.

Transvestism and Other Sexual Deviations:

All sexual abberations "usually overlap and merge to a more or less extent". Hence almost in every case of transvestism there are certain features characteris- tic of some other sexual anomaly. This fact indicates a close relationship among various sexual deviations, but by no means disproves their independent character.

It was Hirschfeld who first advocated, in 1910, a complete separation of transvestism from all other sex- ual aberrations, and sharply criticized all those authors