ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO MEET WOMEN WITH SIMILAR INTERESTS A CHANCE TO DO SO.

·

ED.

***

"I LIKE THE LADDER'S POLICY OF PRINTING NEWS AND VIEWS ABOUT SEXUAL DEVIATION WHETHER OR NOT THEY REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION. IN SOME CASES, OF COURSE, THESE ITEMS CRY OUT FOR REBUTTAL. ONE ITEM OF THIS SORT IN THE JANUARY ISSUE IS DR. RALPH BANAY'S WARNING THAT HOMOSEXUALITY OFTEN LEADS TO 'MORE VIOLENT CRIME', INCLUDING HOMICIDE, AND THAT THERAPY SHOULD BE MADE COMPULSORY,

"DR. BANAY'S CLAIM ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME CAN MEAN MUCH OR LITTLE WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY 'OFTEN'? BUT IT CANNOT BE VERY IMPRESSIVE UNLESS HE CAN SHOW THAT MORE HOMOSEXUALS THAN HETEROSEXUALS ARE INVOLVED IN VIOLENT CRIME; OR THAT MORE HOMOSEXUALS ARE INVOLVED IN VIOLENT CRIME THAN ARE NOT SO INVOLVED. THE FIRST SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY. THE SECOND CANNOT READILY BE DETERMINED SINCE THE HOMOSEXUAL WHO COMMITS CRIMES OF VIOLENCE IS SO VISIBLE, WHILE THE OTHERS WHO DO NOT ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY INVISIBLE.

"IT IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE, OF COURSE, THAT THE NUMBER OF VIOLENT CRIMES COMMITTED BY HOMOSEXUALS, IN PROPORTION TO THE TOTAL HOMOSEXUAL POPULATION, MAY BE HIGHER THAN THE CORRESPONDING RATE FOR THE HETEROSEXUAL. THE QUESTION MUST THEN BE

-

RAISED IS THIS (IF TRUE) DUE TO SOMETHING INTRINSIC IN HOMOSEXUALITY, OR TO THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH HE LIVES?

"IF DR. BANAY HAD CONFINED HIS RECOMMENDATION FOR COMPULSORY THERAPY TO THOSE WHO DO COMMIT VIOLENT CRIMES, THERE MIGHT BE A GOOD CASE FOR IT. AS IT IS, THIS SUGGESTION SMACKS TOO MUCH FOR COMFORT OF GEORGE ORWELL'S '1984', AND CANNOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. NO MATTER HOW MUCH GOOD THERAPY MIGHT DO FOR THE SOCIALLY HARMLESS (OR FOR THE SOCIALLY USEFUL) HOMOSEXUAL, THE DECISION AS TO TREATMENT' MUST BE LEFT STRICTLY TO HIM OR TO HER. MOREOVER, DR. BANAY'S SUGGESTION IS HIGHLY INCONSISTENT WITH HIS OWN POSITION THAT PSYCHOTHERAPY CAN BE EFFECTIVE ONLY WHERE THE HOMOSEXUAL IN QUESTION IS STRONGLY MOTIVATED TO 'OVERCOME THE PROBLEM'."

F.C., SAN MATEO, CALIF.

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