DEVIANT MINORITY GROUP, CREATING ITS OWN CLIMATE OF "NORMALITY", IS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY. HE IS NOT SURE OF THE ANSWER. BUT HE DOES RECOGNIZE THAT SUCH A GROUP CAN AND DOES "MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURE."

IN SUM, MILLER FEELS THE CONDITION IS NOT A DISEASE IN ITSELF, BUT HE BELIEVES THAT "THE INNER TENSIONS WHICH MANY HOMOSEXUAL FORMS OF CHARACTER DO DISCLOSE INDICATE AN EMOTIONAL UNBALANCE FROM WHICH MENTAL DISORDER CAN MORE EASILY SPRING THAN FROM HETEROSEXUAL MENTAL STRUCTURES." THERE ARE, HE THINKS, "NOT INFREQUENT UNDERTONES OF PARANOID, SCHIZOID, OR HYSTERICAL CHARACTER."

DR. MILLER DID NOT FURTHER DEFINE "HOMOSEXUAL FORMS OF CHARACTER", NOR "HETEROSEXUAL MENTAL STRUCTURES". NOR DID HE TAKE UP THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE "EMOTIONAL UNBALANCE" AND INNER TENSIONS REFERRED TO ARE IN HIS OPINION AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE HOMOSEXUALITY, OR WHETHER THEY ARE THE RESULT OF LATER SOCIAL EXPERIENCE.

EDITORIAL VIEW FAVORABLE

IN AN EDITORIAL COMMENT PRECEDING THE TWO ARTICLES JUST MENTIONED, "TWENTIETH CENTURY" CAME OUT IN FAVOR OF THE REPORT, AND SAID:

" .THERE IS EVERY CASE AGAINST PUNISHING PEOPLE IF THERE IS DOUBT ABOUT THE GROUNDS ON WHICH THEY ARE BEING PUNISHED OR DOUBT ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PUNISHMENT, IN A PLURAL SOCIETY THE MORE MATTER THAT CAN BE LEFT TO THE CONSCIENCE OF THE CITIZEN THE BETTER .......SOME PEOPLE WOULD SEEM TO ENJOY BEING HAMMERS OF GOD, AND SOME WHO ARE DOUBTFUL ABOUT GOD NEVERTHELESS LIKE TO KEEP THE HAMMER HANDY."

THESE FEW SAMPLES OF ENGLISH THINKING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY ARE INTERESTING BECAUSE THE COMMENTATORS FREQUENTLY WENT BEYOND A DISCUSSION OF THE LEGAL ASPECT, TO TAKE UP MORAL AND OTHER QUESTIONS, WHERE THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HAVE BEEN STRIKINGLY LIBERAL AND FREE OF PREJUDICE. IT SEEMS DOUBTFUL THAT AMERICAN MAGAZINES OF NATION-WIDE REPUTATION COULD GO THIS FAR AT THE PRESENT TIME.

FLORENCE CONRAD

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