THESE AS "THE MOST DEMOCRATIC OF SOCIETIES".

ONE ASPECT OF THIS

IS THE GREATER SOCIAL MOBILITY OF THE HOMOSEXUAL, TO WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY REFERRED.

IN SUMMARY, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SHOW THAT:

(1) A DEVIANT GROUP SUCH AS THE HOMOSEXUAL, ALTHOUGH SHARING MANY CHARACTERISTICS OF MINORITY GROUPS, DIFFERS IN THE GENERALIZED STIGMA OF IMMORALITY WHICH SOCIETY BESTOWS UPON IT.

(2)

IN VIEW OF THIS STIGMA, CONSCIOUS IDENTIFICATION WITH THE GROUP IS DIFFICULT, AND VARIES FROM COMPLETE AND FULL ACCEPTANCE OF MEMBERSHIP AND THE ELABORATION OF A "HOMOSEXUAL ROLE" (SECONDARY DEVIATION) TO TOTAL REJECTION (PRIMARY DEVIATION).

(3) SINCE MOTIVATION TO DEVIANCE IS ALWAYS AMBIVALENT,

INVOLVING BOTH ALIENATIVE AND CONFORMATIVE NEEDS, AND STIGMATIZED PEOPLE ARE OFTEN OF THE SAME CULTURE AS THOSE WHO STIGMATIZE THEM, THE VALUES OF A DEVIANT GROUP CAN BE EXPECTED, IN PART, TO BE CONGRUENT WITH THOSE OF THE PARENT CULTURE, BUT CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED TO SHOW DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONCEIVED AND OPERATIVE LEVELS.

(4) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHOICE OF SEXUAL OBJECT, MOST HOMOSEXUAL CONCEIVED VALUES ARE CONGRUENT WITH, RATHER THAN IN CONFLICT WITH, THOSE OF THE DOMINANT CULTURE.

(5) CONFLICTS BETWEEN VALUES IN THE HOMOSEXUAL WORLD REFLECT CULTURAL VALUE-CONFLICTS BETWEEN SUB-GROUPS IN HETEROSEXUAL SOCIETY, AS WELL AS DIVERGENCES BETWEEN OPERATIVE AND CONCEIVED VALUES.

"THE TRAGEDY OF OUR DAY IS THE CLIMATE OF FEAR IN WHICH WE LIVE, AND FEAR BREEDS REPRESSION.

"THE CHALLENGE TO ALL OF US IS TO PROVE THAT A FREE SOCIETY CAN REMAIN FREE, HUMANE AND CREATIVE, EVEN WHEN IT IS UNDER HEAVY AND RUTHLESS FIRE; THAT IT CAN COMBAT POVERTY, INJUSTICE AND INTOLERANCE IN ITS MIDST AND THAT IT CAN GIVE MAN A GLIMPSE OF SERENITY AND HOPE." ADLAI STEVENSON

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