MATTACHINE SEMINAR

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PHYLLIS AND EBERHARD KRONHAUSEN, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND AUTHORS OF THE BOOK, "PORNOGRAPHY AND THE LAW"; AND DR. WALLACE DE ORTEGA NAXEY.

THE FIRST PART OF THE DISCUSSION WAS DEVOTED TO TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT READING PORNOGRAPHY REALLY HAS ANY HARM— FUL EFFECTS. DR. EBERHARD KRONHAUSEN STATED THAT READING SUCH MATERIAL DID ACT AS A SEXUAL STIMULANT BUT THAT IT DID NOT LEAD TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. IT COULD LEAD TO A SEXUAL RESPONSE, HE SAID, BUT SUCH A RESPONSE IS CERTAINLY NOT HARMFUL OR A SIGN OF MALADJUSTMENT. ON THE OTHER HAND, DR. KRONHAUSEN FELT THAT SUCH READING ACTED AS A "SAFETY-VALVE" AND THE ACTUAL RESPONSE TO THE PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL DEPENDED ON THE READER'S TRAINING AND PERSONALITY.

DR. BAILEY FELT THAT PORNOGRAPHY HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON THE READER. HE SAID THAT THE HOMOSEXUALS HE HAD COUNSELLED CERTAINLY HAD NOT BECOME HOMOSEXUAL FROM READING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY.

AMERICANS FEAR OF SEX

DR. MAXEY WAS ASKED FOR HIS OPINION AS TO WHY THERE IS SUCH A GENERAL FEAR OF SEX IN THE UNITED STATES. HE REPLIED THAT THE FEAR STEMS FROM A PURITAN BACKGROUND, ERRONEOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF THE BIBLE AND FROM ANTIQUATED LEGAL CODES. ACCORDING TO DR. MAXEY THE SOLUTION LIES IN MODERNIZING OUR SEX LAWS IN THE LIGHT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

DR. PHYLLIS KRONHAUSEN WAS ASKED TO COMMENT ON THIS FEAR OF SEX. SHE SAID THAT IN SEXUAL MATTERS AMERICANS DEFINITELY FEEL GUILTY, ASHAMED AND FEARFUL. THE SOLUTION, SHE BELIEVES, IS ENLIGHTENED SEX EDUCATION.

SEX ATTITUDES OF THE "BEATNIKS"

MR. ANDERSON THEN DISCUSSED AT SOME LENGTH THE ATTITUDES AND SEX

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