“ 5 The World of Homosexuals Homosexuality is as old as humanity an’ despite such studies as the Kinsey Repo which reveals that one in every six persons has homosexual tendencies, the revulsion and prejudice against it still persist. This book is a sympathetic investigatio" of the world of the gay. Containing ‘onal interviews with homosexuals i? India and abroad it touches upon man’ aspects of the subject, and makes an impassioned plea for a more humane and compassionate, as well as rational, scrutiny of its unique social and psychological repercussions. Shakuntala Devi is known the world over as a mathematical wizard, and has the distinction of having beaten the world’s most sophisticated computer by ix seconds. She is currently at work of ate on lesbians. i 8 = oa oan “he World of i Omosexuals| fe The World of Homosexuals Shakuntala DeviBel! Books Paperback Division of Vikas Publishing House Pet Lid @ Statumtats Devi. 1977 First published, 1976 les Bel Books eto, 1978 Published by Vilas Publishing Howse Pi Lid SoAnsii ad, New Ovi 116002 Printed at Sky irk Primers, gah Koad, Deh Preface . Smal toi of. any ‘ind te atid in pole contin ia ia, and any tak concerning homonexalty i ahogeies ooo Homosexuaity i basilly old ashumaniy, bot whet econ, tively new, and urgent, is the need for contemperaf sect to come to term in it thinking and its law meting’ bok gts ‘syehological Knowledge and human behavione. eat are changing Works on subjects that were taboo inthe past By virtue of the fact that it is seldom discussed or written about, ‘ignorance and emotionalism still abound, and homosexuality in ou society today is surrounded by a haze of myth, the general attitude of society varying from an almost superstitious dread, through ‘abhorrence and contempt to an amused and prurient fascination, Owing to strongly held opinions on the subject, unfortunately, Serious medical and sociological investigations on this subject in India are almost ni, considering the importance of the question ia human terms. However, in the West, where they are more willing 0 look problems in the eye, there has been a great flood of material written on the subject over the past few decades. Western writers, i is seen clearly, have taken two markedly different approaches towards the subject of homosexuality. The first approach has been exclusively personal end biographic, found mainly in novels and TheLow 0° 6, Payehlaric Perspectives on Homosexuality 63 17, Homose xual-Heterosexual Balance 74 8. Homosexuality n Prisons 81 9. Commerclalized Homosexuality 90 10, Homosexulity in Literaure and Film 96 1. Venereal Diseases 100 12, The Homosexual and the Commicity 108 13, Gay Lib 17 14, Chris and Rich 127 15. An Indian Homosexual 143 16, In Retrospect 148 Bibliography 157Prefudice is a despotic, ignorant, mental Sancholder. It prejudges and pronounces sentences without evidence, judge oF jury. We ‘ought 10 run away from it, for itis a flo witmes, Stupid, dishonest end shortsighted. 1 separates ‘ Jriends, impedes human progress, befriends bad Institutions, obstructs good causes, perpetuates the enslavement of body and mind, andl wars ipcinst the Best interests of mankind. Envest Hoanoway1 The Case of Venkata Subramaniam ‘homosexual’ then. I was very young—mutt have been about If 2c 15.1 was aware that I wasn't atraced to gil. In fac. don't know iT should be frank. ..afer all you're a woman and you may feet offended. 'S.D. Certainly not! Please forget that Tm a women, Why is ‘Bender so importa? Just think of me as a person. «iS: Women repulse me. ‘The very thought of any intimete contact with « woman makes me fel sick ‘SDL see! ¥.S. While I was at school, most of my classmates were boys. 1 was a co-educational school you see. There wert only about 10 ils in the class. They sat together by themselves inthe front benches, ‘They never mixed with us, in fact they seldont spoke to us Most of the time they used to chat among themselves and siasle «lot, ‘Some of the boys inthe css used to tease them and pass remarks Sometimes obscene rentarks at them. AE that time Ud feel sony for ‘them. And some of the boys used to be infatuated by certain ics, though they never exchanged a word with them, and these boys woul ‘weave all kinds of fantastic stores about them. They would imagine2 The World of Homosexuals ‘themselves making love to one of these girl, and they wsed to tell ‘me about the immense felings of romance that used to be aroused in them at the mere sight of them. But no such thing happened ‘to me, The girls left me absolutely cold. 1f at all, pitied them, ‘S.D. Pited them? What for? V.S. For the sood things that were denied to them in life. For instance they didn't play ames after school like us boys, as they ‘more or les confined themselves to ther seats on the benches dering ‘lass hours, and after school they went stright home-in'a grou ‘Wel, there were so any other privileges which we enjoyed tht ‘they didn't. They seemed so weak and helpless. And I admired srength, courage and all the other qualities that went with i. Isimply ‘couldn’ imagine myself making love to one of the gil, ‘SD, As you grew older, were you able to pet over your repulsion ‘towards girs, at least to some extent? V-S. No. On the other hand my repulsion for them was aggr ted. Infact aa stage I began to think of women as very dity tures. i ‘S.D. My goodaess! Why? VS Well you know what happens in the orthodox Brahmin, families in the South. Every month, about three days, my prand- ‘mother used to make my mother sit in a sechided corner. She wasn't allowed {0 touch anything in the house. I and my sisters weren't allowed to go near her. If we cried for her, when we were smal, ‘Grandma would grudgingly take off our clothes and then only could ‘we go to mother. Mother had to sleep on a tattered mat and eat by Therein the comer, after we'd all eaten. She wasn't allowed to go out ‘with my father or even speak to him. T used to wonder why, I asked ‘Grandma about it one day and she said that mother was uncican and Jmpure during these days. don't know what happened, but from then onwards I could only think of women as unclean, impure people, and I simply couldn't bring myself to think of any physical contact with them. Naturally became a loner, and spent most of my time studying and taking fong walks. 1 got excellent marks at schoo, jn fact I always stood Bist in class. Most of the boys in the class admired me and often approached me to help them with their lessons 'S.D. When did you actually have your first homosexual expe The Case of Venkata Subramaniam, 3 'S. When I was in the final year at High’ School, There was ‘his boy, also @ Brahmin, who yas w kind of @ football hero. He was {all well-built and had an exellent physique. But he was poot at his studies. AS the final exams were " ‘QuekYy that wheo my mother knocked on the door with rote for completely composed ourselves and were back st ca lessons. Mother of cours, remarked that T was looking «be ‘tired, but she left us alone and went away. ‘After that fist day, we met every day in the evening to d6 our tone Wed sar the etening wi heaton lat Se Sot * change. Besides being a seal partes Sone as true fiend to me. A type of © nin end ‘hat ctanot be explained. We came t be depends on at en S.D. Did your mother oF father spect arog 1S. No- They were prod ht [spent 1 meh line at my tin, td bythe nay Sen dda’ belong 10 Kekona He sooo nally fom Podabkot. His parents were sl in Pudukionas erent wel off nd they had nine other chron So gga oe, to Kumbakonam to say vith hs ule ad aut whos cola An therefore they oul pend elon tea :D. Lee ¥.S. Aft the nal exams he went back to his parcv to Pada Koti and I was miserable, We both had doe’ welln our ne 1 stood fist in the school and Seenu got 2 Fist Clas iis sony ‘ame tomy place and thanked me over and over agsn fox the ood influence Thad over Scenuandgave mete entire ce for Ns psn inthe Fit Clas. She told mother that she woul like Lo ond Seon {o the same college a6 mys. got admision in ne ofthe bet colleges in Macias and Sens une and aunt ranged to send hia tothe sane college. We stayed inthe hone! and sated room. No ne specie anything we wer oth very happy. utters ‘ay came, We both gt our deres an had to lave colons, SooeeThe World of Homosexuils to Kumbakonam to setle down there with his uncle to his land and his business, and he was compelled to get ‘attied by his uncle and aunt to a fst cousin. Ren eee rmnernion eicactey {Sree nf ata sap fe red sd tn Dc Sameer Gupte lye) aaeregeereg 2 VS. No. After I got my degree I got this job here in Bangalore, efesttla ey peerage see Peel rekon S.D. I don’t think I agree with you entirely that you got to where you are today only by luck. Your colleagues tell me that you're @ eer cewek ea Pants pees ater eerctcae trons Se ee ee re an coe Be caiee socinimncbentee cre ee sc hoppy ce Piet eee rancho 1 doe ane. "Gu do ypu nino” How bv you ter bet du If to life ly? ee aes cece dee fe nied wt Meas ences tree Doe ar eee eemeremcete oem ay ee na Wc ee ces ner ed? eee nese ccemraneion heim, Re eenaa ete ; ee suena in ou Sd oti ¥.S. Yes, sometimes. .\.we'd have a big fight and I'd threaten to eee eat attain serentmance rs ae "He would pacify me. In the beginning of our relationship we fought Me at ot eng tad ron tng wy eros ‘The Case of Venkata Subramanian 3 Wit ears hl ec Rima aera ie Se pare eee oe se bron fe Srcaeners ceases ‘S.D. Did you fel guity? ce 72 ee tem ng sot anee res NG gt Sheree, FS. Not all Tobe fan with you, away ade le alta esta ies wuaeete Sea rectcmee Tecan a. ‘own without Seemu? y oSesseteylle 7s tenes RE cic ste tee tare ‘Rothing too deep—because by now I knew that a mon 2 Shope caer Sea aeaee peer cmeees tera cet eee eee Sener ae ees Sceaamercce hort iae ae sears aes aati meats eee ieee ee a ee eerie —6 The World of Homosexuals SD. Think so to0, You certainly do! Tn fact T wanted to say s0 aye ut I did't want to be so forward. Just like Rock Hudson— dame height, same bald, and good Cod, for an Indian you'e 30 fi! Toul have sworn that one of yor pares ws 4 Torcener VS. Cetily not. Both my parents are South Tian Brahmins, 18 othodor as they come. 'S:D.Ienly things wee diferent you wouldve fetched the highest dowry In the mariage masket, Tbe! VS. Well youve won the bet, because Ive fetched a. very good dowry perhaps ore ofthe highest in my community. ‘.D. What do you mean? V5, Yve been on the matiage market for the last two years and Tim going to be marie next mont. My parents are very bard bat ines you know. They've struck the est det, partiulary Mother. Shs great barptner,sartng from rina ‘end onions up to. @ malrimoial dowry. Ske has wangled ott gute lot—dameond ear- ring, diamond necklace, Fat, alver wens, lots of ash—and she txpects to squrere more out of them just before the marriage, a the eleventh hour—you Know the old tick. ‘SD. But realy, youre not serous about geting marved are 2575: Tam. Ym gong to be mated. The respon is inthe Lal- ‘gh. Lhope soul be in town. You must come. ‘SD. Now lok. st ust dont wadenand. V5. Thew’s nothing to vndertand realy. ['m 30 now. and my parents have been after me to get married for the last six yeas. They stared pting horoscopes from git parens almost frm the time Ileft college. And ster ll Tve a duty towards my family. "SD. How do you expec to make a sucess of your mariage? 1S took som, youve king Tie frig, Whats wet invmavage in Tia anyway? Irs only commercial arrangement ‘No question of any 4ve-0F companionship. Al thas expssted is "ene hare be im my mariage, ext ssn ‘Sl. But sl the whole thing sounds 80 cruel to me—t0 marry pil knowing very well that you can’ make hee apy: WS, Who ait Cean't make er happy? 1 re I cat make love toler but why should she expet romance in an arranged marsage? ‘Aner al her father i tecically purchasing bridegroom from the Aiwlaae batar and they pt tele oney> worth The ont S97 ‘The Case of Venkata Subramanian 4 eR ae ieee rare ctnte Eehicae tee ator To em a eee See cid aes eee ral eel ee eee i anea ge mee as sichataocer san racer brant SS aren ecm oh era alia Peer el rat de fo een eterno ae eager eo ee ee8 The World of Homosexuals tendencies are decided. Nothing can change them. If fall out with ‘Mohan, there'll alvays be someone else to take his place. No problem there. 'S.D. Pardon me for putting it this way, but the whole thing seems s0 cruel to me... very cruel indeed! VS. Cruelty! Ifyou want to see real cruelty look out of the wine dow. You're not bind. Tell me, what do you see there? Two bulls pulling a cart. The Toad is s0 heavy they're pulling it with great effort. ‘The man is whipping them severely. Theit skin is lacrated. They're bleeding, Isn't that ervey? 'S.D. That's one kind of cruelty. V.S. There are millions in the country dying without food, during rains they've ao roof over their heads, new-born babies die of. ack of nourishment and_eate. Invalids haye no medical help, and we're siting here in a air-conditioned room sipping cream coffee. Ist this cruelty?’ And if | don't go throwgh with this marriage, my three sisters will remain unmacried. My father simply can’t afford to get them married, not with his paltry pension. And I'm the only son "The girls arent very educated. They ean’t go to work. My father and mother spent all their money on my education. They couldn't afford to educate my sisters also. Not on the salary of a Government Servant with me inthe hosel ia Madras. . what a lot they had t0 Spend on me, The things they denied themselves, the stcriics they ‘had to make, and the humiliations they had to suffer when they had 10 borrow money from relatives to pay for my books. 1 can’t lt them ‘down no, ‘SD. see. sil VSS. There's nothing tore to be said on the subject as far as Tm concerned. Our very existence i full of cruelty. When you breathe {YoU inhale germs. You smother them. When you walk you trample Uupon worms. When you spray disinfectants you kil insects, . all thisis cruelty, really. Is only a question of degree. don't know this, iat all. The ervey, iPat all you can calle that, i of sn impersonal sort 'S:D. Like spraying the disineetane, for example VS. AF you want to be sareastc. But I eonsider it much more cruel to let down my parents in their old age, afterall they've done for me, Do you think 1 should leave my sisters stranded in the streets? Theyte dependent on me, What you don’t know 1s that there ‘The Case of Venkata Subramaniam milion ik mein hs county and esewhere ‘SD. know, Ive read the Key sn and varios other studies, One oft of erry se YS this county person has no hace realy. Ws deen in other cunts. Here you jt ft toa ree and do bog de tovands hove around you. Isl ad ou for you the name fore born. Youre patina sate Ityou eyo wrgleout oe ad 8 ot of pope into los a dias. Tete wre man he me ‘hole marred beease they hine ean they Cry on at noe 1 be dg ery soon Fortis ih couy, when sh ue i ean tte intone oe Soman ‘Seep the serualiy ofthe boy and the g- 2. Yen that’ the biter 1S. My ist cy towards my fay, rely. I ean manage 0 find some persona happen. log ask doco harm ano, done why not 50, Of couse you do reise tht youl be facing one serious problem. Perhaps you've aledy sored out win yousel ut Sov be maryng hs git whom you don’ oe an 3ou do ce 2ny poses ot faling i love wh ergo, How wil ou ine with he nde he same fot for tert of you I? Afterall ont forget youl be acing her dy in and day Co VS. Tha’s noting very fet reali. T pew yp with thee Younger site and thee ns alvaye mother, grndmher and my ‘idowed cousin who lived with is im accsomed to Iving Wh omen inthe hos, nf ep for yt aed msl ee the members in my fay are ll wre, Ina ways psa odo mea cof od having this gil arcand the howe. You know se 30 ook er my howe, manos the Sevan merit ao roe, ‘Ob is going to be sch reel ths burden taken off ysl rT cansonetae Bre on ny Work, an all sil an done de eine uc et andre ine ae mae mh ce cst Oh, by the way this ii he tae You sid youd ony tate an how and Tne ek a singin teen mus 5:0. Just one more question bie eave VS. Go ahead ake nappy. SD. Asa omoserual do yo fel ppresed by soi? + WS.No, not at all. homiae wm net tases Pom ate10 The World of Homosexuals ‘xcept my various soxual partners. And now you of course. But you've promised not to divulge it ‘S.D. Certainly. Noman. I darent be seen with a girl s0 often in public as do vi Mohan Somehow people ae sl aware of haga sounry, though such aot exists. Two boys, ot for that macro ils can do anything they want 0 one ays Not even Parents suspect. But a by and a gel can’t get away with Sirance Iv Butte on tag ether ar imsteanage S.D. Would you like the laws agsinsihomosematiy in this country to change? V.S. What diference is that goine to make? -on paper. You rarely hear of anyone being ‘In fact if they're going to jail everybody who's ity in this country... what's the population of 300 milion. whats one-sixth. of $00 milion. . 00d in maths, Where would they find place ‘many millions? How would they feed them, fs place? Things are OK as they arc. Let skeping.dogs fe. OF course i's dilferent in the West. They make so much noise about everything (Looking at his watch) Goosd God 'm late! 1 must rush off, ‘SD, Sorry I detained you 50 long. Thanks for the lovely cote: 2 ‘What is Homosexuality? [Ihe human being is sexual being. And thé sexual ite Sf humans ‘many facets. From the day of bith onwards, a child ix open fered mode of slfexpresion for most dul, ut many pegs also engage in other forms of sexual behaviout-—sch as crue nee tion to a member of the same sex. Such men and women who fates ‘wally experience strong feelings of his Kind reeled homoxctual ‘A homovenual experience is any physical arousal a person els response (0 some one of his or her own sox. Ths en rane fom {ust thinking about someone and being aroused 0 acally Raving sical contact and orgasm with that peron “The term homosexual is drive from the Greck “hom” meaning “the sume,” rather than from the Lain oot “homo,” man a has numerous synonyms, both vemaclar and tectnial For instance Some words like "homophl reflect attempts fo eliminate psjortve connotations, and others tke Bienuaiy and inversion reflect pat= alae etolopcal points of view. However, while ll these tem ae Correctly appicabe to either en common ine tens reserve them for males and to apply “lesbianism” to setual activites between feats. zi “The thought of timate physleal contact witha person of one's ‘own sex disgusts most people But statiscal fds revel hat & rear maay people hive a homosewal experience at some point Or other in thie nes. A poron can have homoverualexpenence Stout bene edoninty homo, nd ch an expres may range from a thought rs dream to. acto] sexta conta howe experiences, however, may be or my aot be raied 1 peices coal ueeeae :2 The World of Homosexuals One of the most fundamental and widespread misconceptions ‘concerning homosexuality is thatthe human race is divided into two dlisinet sections, heterosexuals and homosexuals. Also, that sexual Interest in one’s own sex precludes a similar interest in members of the opposite sex. Nothing could be farther ffom the truth. One hhomoserual experience does not determine that a person is ually onented. A person may be predominantly heteosexush ‘or homosexual in his or her orientation. "Those who feel a strong sexual urge towards persons of their ow sen and participate in mutual sexual fondling or other forms of ewual ‘Stimulation are known 2s “over” or “practising” homosexvals. And those in whom erotic feelings for the opposite sex are absent alto- gether, oF sight in. comparison 10. theit homosexual flings ace Galled “exclusive” of “obligatory” homosexuals. This condition is Considered more or less permanent and unchangeable. These exclusive hhomoseruals, especially male homosexuals, are appalled by the pros- pect of relations with the opposite sex. Even in such cases where ‘women provoke no postive revulsion, the exclusively homosexual ‘man finds that feminine charm and attractions leave him quite cold dnd unaroused sexually or emotionally. Therefore he would probably be impotent if he tried to have sexual relations with a woman. ‘On the other hand, many female homosexuals or lesbians ar able to give a man the satisfaction of intercourse, though they themselves fblain litle or no sexual excitement. In some way, this physiological ference between the sexes contributes {0 some extent fo account for te observation that Female homosexuals tend tobe les frequently, “exclusive” in their sexual conduct. "Apart from this “exclusive” type, there are those who take 10 homosexuality only on odd. occasions, usually when deprived of Such persons use the hhomovexual outlet enly asa convenient substitute, without its iter= fering with theie normal heterosexual capacity ot feeling. These people are able to find full erote satisfaction with those of either Sex. They are termed bisexuals. Bisexuals usually claim a permanent need for relations with both, sexes 10 enjoy the best of both worlds as it were. They would be classed in the middle range of Kinsey's homosexual-eterosexual Seale, discussed in a later chapter ofthis book. Because of their dual What is Homosexuality? 13 orientation, bisexuals are sometimes called “AC-DC"—“altere rating” and “‘ditect current" —and they may sometimes exhibit ‘conflicts over their ambivalent sexuality. Heterosexualty, homo- sexuality and bisexuality cover the complete range of sex patterns mong males and females, But one must not be 100 categorical. In reality, one encounters every conceivable gradation of attitude and ‘behaviour from absolutly strict heterosexuals at one end of the scale ‘to exclusive, “overt” homosexuals atthe other extreme. Iiving Beiber, a psychiatrist, discussing the definitions of homo- sexuality writes in the Clinical Aspects of Mele Homosexuality: 1 do not diagnose patients as homosexual unless they have engaged in ‘over’ homosexual behaviour. Those who also engage in heterosexual activity are diagnosed as bisexual, An isolated ex- perience may not warrant the diggnosis, but repetitive homosexual ‘behaviour in adulthood. whether sporadic or continuous desig- rates a homosexual. In spite of recent advances inthe sociology of homosexuality, commonly viewed as 2 congenital deformity. The limitation of this view is seen in the fact that if homosexuality is a condition, then either people have it or do not have it, which in effect means that there are only two kinds of people in the world—heteroseruals and homosexuals. Since this is not the case and various degrees of homoserualty prevail homosexuality cannot logkally be consi dered congenital, Furthermore. even when some indvideals are ‘rented predominantly in this direction, to consider them deformed isto exaggerate their differences from other people to the point of caricature, Much has been said and writen 10 explain the “condition” of homosexuality, but most ofthese explanations have: begun with the assumption that homosewality i an llaes, generally a mental les. Frequently the roots ofthe “disorder” are seen as ling in ealychild- ‘hood experience in the contest of the family. Irving Beier, in his book, Homortiy A Pchanaic Stdy, ee male Rome seruals a8 products of homes with overbearing mothers and wea inefecual fathers. ean ie This conception of homosexuality as a “condition” and the be our stpprs mer operate Tom af alta“ The World of Homosexuals society in which homosexuality is condemned. The uncritical accep- tance of this conception by social scientists can easily be traced to their concern with homoseualiy as a sxial problem. They are inclined to aecept the popular definition of what the problem is and they have been implicated ja the process of social contol. "The practice of social labelling of homosexuals as sexual perverts 4s common all over the world, but homosexuals dislike being called perverts. They object to the pejorative tone the term has acquired, ‘nd also bectuse it suggests, unjustly, that they have chosen their ‘unpopular way of life in deliberate defiance of heterosexual society Besides, the labelling searevates homosewuals from others and this means that their deviant practices and their sefjustifcation for these ‘practices are contained within a relatively narrow group. ‘The pully secrecy with which our society Ras long surrounded homosexuality, and the traditional stamp of “wonatural vice” or “degeneracy” it bears has inflveoed the average person to look upon homosexuality with rooted aversion, and his ideas about it ‘riminals helps to Keep the rest of society law abiding. But the ‘isadvanlage of this technique asa soial contr is that there may be ‘a tendeney among people to become fixed in their deviance ones they ‘are labelled. Some homoseruals, however, weleome and support the notion that homosexuality is a condition, a8 it appears to fore- ‘lose the possibilty of them drifting back into mormalty, end thus femoves the element of anxious choice. In short such an attitude justifies their deviant behaviour. ‘Homosexuals like heterosexuals, have not one but many life styles. ‘Some are conventionally married men and women who Occasionally indulge in furtive homosexual affairs. Others lve 0 homosexual couples. I the homosexual is a government, employee tora teacher, he may live in constant fear of losing his job. If he is Seltemployed. he fears only social ostracism. On the other hand, Fhe tra tinguished literary figure, an artist, or an actor, he may ‘openly declare his homosenuality t0 get publicity. Homosexuals are widely distibuted in every society, and they are ound in all secjo-cconomic strata. After all there are millions of thom inthe world, and even a larger group for whom homosexual ites constitute one of several sexual outlets. Dr Alffed Kinsey, who penly as What is Homosexuality? 1s published his studies of human sexual behaviour in the male and the Rema, implies that not only is on€ out of every 25 males between the ages of 16 and 60 exclusively homosexual throughout his lif, put that one out of every 13 is exclusively homosexual for at least ‘three years during his adult life. Also, one man out of every six has as much of the homosexual as the heterosexual in his history throughout such a period. The figures for women are somewhat lower but of a similar order. sey’ igures have been stonaly cecized, but they have never ‘been effectively refuted, and his statistical methods were careful and sound. His findings should apply 10 the entire human race as ‘whole, ierespetively of creed, colour, or nationality. "These figures amply support that Romosenualty is a much more ‘widespread phenomenon than mast people are accustomed to think. Tn Inia for instanee, millions of men and women are personally ‘conscious of homosexuality as at lastan element in ther sexual make tip In othee words, its a considerably greater social problem than genecally supposed. A homosexual may be anybody. and could ‘Conceivably be everybody. Inthe light of this realization, the eom- plenty ofthe subject becomes apparent and the esential ordinariness Df cis proup we are considering is clearer. The stereotypes dissolve ‘and fall away ‘Muny of the popular notions whick eondiion the thinking of the majority of people are that homosexuals are a clearly idensifable Eroup costing of merely stereotypes, and. the_ most widely-held {nage ofthe homosexual is probably that of an effeminate mano fontboyish: woman, The entertainment media ave unfortunately contributed great deal to this misunderstanding by fixing the vulgar ‘Stereotypes as being always good for a laugh. One may recall the Sahy, limpovested males in the Boys in the Band, or the butch, Segrewive females in the iling of Sister George, who were depicted tore starkly than the normgl-seemig characters who were also afee- ‘an emotional pul! towards their own sex. They even £0 $0 ted by far acto make them into caricatures, which too many people equate svi realty. The ta that allo most male homosexuals are effeminate is ds- cused in ths excerpt from Toward ot Christin Understanding of the ‘Homosexual:16 The World of Homosexuals erhaps the most common mth propagited about the homo- semua is that he is inevitably effeminate. This 3s far from the truth, After Raving made a sicyear survey if homosexual in Briain, a special committe ofthe Friends Home Service Commitee declared, Te eannot be too stonaly raed that not all eeminate zen are homosexual, and few homosexual men can be realy dese ted as efleminate” This i borne out by seteral studies. Evelyn Hooker, after carefully seadying thirty homosexual men, concluded that “here is no essential relation between efleminacy of body boil, manner, or speech, and homosexualiy™ Similarly, Arthur Bunton, comparing the results of thiey-four homosexual offender, cightyseven delioguents and twenty rapists on tbe. Minnesota Multiphase Personality inventory, discovered that whe the home= seruals rated slightly higher tan the ‘other two groups on the femininity scale, the diference was too slight to be of clinical we. There is an aimost universal conclusion among medical autho- ‘ities today that no esentil relationship exists between effeminacy and homosexuality. Most would agree with Havelock Elis's statement shat efleminate homosexuals "are not more pal of inversion than the female. prostate ..is (piel of’ Woman heed" [Norman Mailer in his book Prisoner of Sex refers fo homosewwals, ‘a5 “queers” and “humans-with-phaluses who choose to be femal.” ‘This is nonsense, because most homosexuals choose no such thing. ‘They’ choose rather to make love to, or have intercourse with others ‘of their own sex, which is a completely different phenomenon, rather ‘Anam the deliberate choice in the adoption of homosenuality. Again, Mailer ses the word “chodke™ which would be rejected outright by most biological and psychiatric theorists and. probably by, mont ‘homosexuals, because most homorenuals do not consciously choows ‘their particular sex orientation. They are simply what they are. Robert Lindner, in his book Must you Conform? refers to homo- Sexuality as “a form of rebellion.” and he deserites the homosewal 4&8 & nonconformist: Perhaps there is some truth in this. Pani- ‘ularly in the case of females, to become homosexual isto reject the ‘rogramme for marriage, family, and home, which our society holds ‘up as normal and glorifies. However, this does not prove in any way that there i a connction inthe assumption that homesctuaiy ‘What is Homosexuality? W Boi ce sb ee oeane re sgn resi eg ee ce ee fees ay eg ator Se re ee Seater ei. ai ee ee re cee ee ee acres eg ai agence! 5 ee eer eae ote ee pease, (ie ote eee ee ne i ed a ea eter ee or cee eee meee on Seer eee ee Soe anemone Soe es ee at co eae sr Sane eaten woe cents pod magayes cra een nce meen SU eeeee eer ee fSpreefyere penrereneenete ag tne agence rena aera a einer eS Se eae ee See eee ee see ae ee ee EE eee oe ee tae ee. se ae ee ae ane ee Ee Recognise lg so a entme cena es eee eer Ae eee ee ee ee epee aad Lene ee ae ea Soe i ee eee eee nema18 C The World of Homosexuals ould be so my indiong nvidia some very Enna ones nl stat of soy from th ight to the owes thar eirccnmon “potion woul lapel rete el “A homoseal snot bul iferety tom anjone eke. He or she has he same enialia which eation in exaly the same aver {Show of hero oriented people The diference exon it the pefrene of Raving eva eto wh member ofthe “Tee is vay te gucton a Romesesalristinships—nho is ‘ashen tnd ho te wile? ot in thee reno here to med to Gene ve te Hoban andthe ober ne te wie omesexalretontgn ae not based on adn. arias roi Hover, there ae intanes whee in some homoserual Flaons, one princesses the dominant ole and the other the poste rpc Mead in her book Ser ond Temperament, nts th domino nee msl eho nv es ati, and hat iesetore any sooty tat ened mescny racer nd that i aciny naam miss “et, honosesuns’ ta ths connot ereiier Because temperamental nonconformy doc ne ease Sy Int vie sera pain, Nowe the Sn say encounter tec stems to eabsh norm ‘tne may case some of them oseck ef in homes ‘Fhe cpotns ampy sonportcd Wy Margart Mead in er Sook mente, sc hats divide male homoregals Into two catrori, caste tak peste Tey oe the “acne” 8 fre eype was mai veins we he ie te on fling, aed in sciny vi the ate parr wh pees Peale ane ee enters ype westerly hs nor Tey Nocatee hic purse td 10 roe a feminine sit, se the Poe ye ete Hy ep pee at soma “bland “butch” "cow" and {hows tha some of hem at least mast conform toa type om them fold tie vwpeint ak diet tases opcrtc to produce these tno types The pasive type they offen reed a6 What ts Homosexuality? if 42 feminine physique ot some slandular disturbance, whereas the ne- tive is merely looking fora substitute for a woman, However the evidence they provide on these points is flimsy. Amin who is 2 hhomosewal with predominantly pasive sex habits does not nec saly afect feminine manners of possess a feminine physique, Wort, in hisbook A Nor on the Bodvbuld ofthe Mele Homaterwal, quotes two cases of passive male homosexuals with "markedly ‘ffeminale mannerisms who had undoubtedly masculine physiques ‘And many psychiatrists have come across men habitually parive jin thei sexual relations who are effeminate neither in body nor hn fact studies by various scholas reveal that great many homé- sexual, possibly the majority, prefer mutually reciprocated sex acti ‘ity where neither partner dominates, adopting the active oF passive oles a6 oocasion demands, Some are said 0 begin by taking only ‘the active role in sodomy, thinking that by so doing they avoid bel seally “queee” and end up by taking the passive role to please more ‘youthful partners, while others gravitate from a pasive to an detive ole as they grow older. iia ‘Sexual practice, however, are more thin a matter of individual ‘choice for they may be culturally determined. Edouned Rodi, in ‘book Lihomasexuaite mentions that whereas in the USA mouth genital contacts ate favoured by many male homosexuals in preference 10 sexlomy, in some Muslin countries even the lowest type of me prostitute will refine this practice on the ground that only animals would do such a thins. A minority among homosexuals, however, do allow dissatisfaction with thei gender 0 determine thet sie of Jove-making, since inthis. asin their manners, speech, gal dees, cscupaton and interests, they try ter Bet (0 ac hike the oppo sex. But this firm erosssey identification is really a diferent ee dition trom ordinary homosenviy, and the two do not neces 80 fogsther oF have the same cause. This has been amply proved by D.G. Brown in his ance “Inversion and Homincnuahty” ey American Journal of Onthopsychiary, 1958. doen antag to many people is what homosewalt setly when they are together. The answer i that they do what if ey cal pouting erty tal men sud ore ue ae Yesinal intercourse. The most common technigue in male hoa, serual lovemaking is higping and kising and mutual meson20 . ‘The World of Homosexuals Frese aki a ee Sees com Deak ae + ee PO cap cence sete tic swe, as itis not harmful, Sometimes men may indulge in what is porwr tin iara ostream tpt oo eee es ees shesteceay onsen emi ee nga ot aml isons, The) CE jn various other activities of fondling and peting lips a5 there is no RN tata comnts vo a ; aa a eas tome inn mainly muta cotinaor nang cus ewe ed eee ee ae ce tere ac itn cot senators nce ay th cane oa pete eters tee acre sean Tinos icpumc snips he te aloe ys neve SL es legion ‘River teu art may be doe one to the other oro cach other athe res Cosas gsiemens, rire creates Soh a reg mon ere : See eee ee omar See cena centage aan et ecccs tecataie eS Se eee tte ae, at econo rsie aise coe See elec atecs fo oo eee cdan easement fe et cat necten gets cesait ce i Seer oie oar = ee en tS pee ttre ae EReaneni ce cicte sitet Cats eve in the course of her survey, half reported having intense emotional Le assis lay tie eg thetic oops wet Te ki ese ot ee ener aS What ts Homosexuality? # distinguishes lesbian tendencies from the homo-eroticsm of males, 4m makes the homo-eroticsm usually manifests {fom the outst as a recognized sexual attraction calling for physical gratification. Such ‘wecogsummated attachments, while they may’ allow the participants to issociate themselves from the taint of perversion aad the guilt feeling that goes with it, can still be as powerful and disruptive of ‘normal marital adjustment as more overt lave making. Another important feature that distinguishes lesbian relationships from that of male homosexual ones is that physieal contacts betwen lesbians most often arse out of strong friendships or protracted sents ‘mental stachments. For a long time, the love making between the Dartners may be limited to kissing and caressing without any atieript At mutual msturbation oF sexual oepism. Most lesbians, like the majority of heterosexual women, find Sex without romance unattrae: tive. And unlike their male counterparts, few lesbians are. promise ‘cuous, Very few lesbians go in for the restless searching fo ones night stan after the manner $0 common among male homosexuals Some theorists have advanced the view that lesbians ‘have less ‘opportunity for such outlets, since specialized bars and meeting places are not readily available to women, But the counterangut ‘ment would be that itis more likely that the absence of such facie ties indicates a lack of demand. June Hopkins, a Cambridge psychologist in Personal Commint- ation (a research in progress), after a study of a hundred lesbian volunteers contacted through’ the Minorities Rescarch Group, says that even among a group who openly acknowledged thelr lesbianism and concerned themselves with a lesbian organization, ‘many had had physical contact with only one or two other women, Only one was seriowsly promiscuous. And 95 per eent considered ‘the impulsive “one-night stand’ affac unthinkable ‘While agreeing that promiscuous lesbians are comparatively rate birds, Dr Albertine Winnec in Homeseswality ln Wanen pubs lished in 1947, refers to them as particularly dangerous because they are usually dominant, forceful personalities “who may. seduce ‘weaker, more pliant women. It is not unusual for the “butch type lesbian, in pursuit of her masculine image, to. deliberately aim to “lay” as many women as possible in imitation of the male philanderer. However,"Dr- Winner points out, lesbians secm merch Folly exéimpt from sexual interest im litle wls-unfike their maleSitaram heat, 4 ‘The World of Homosexuals counterparts, some of them suffer from what. is sown as the SChoieboy syadrone,” And af a natural consequence of the female aversion to uneomaniic promiscuity, lesbian proxituion is almost non-existent. ‘According fo the Kinsey rating, exclusively homosexual beha “lout appears to be comparatively unusual among Fesbias, Tht however, does hot indicate that there i higher incidence of bisexual feclng among women. While a man has to be strongly atracted sexually to the point of sustained erection, before he can agage Jmtercourse, a woman can remain passive and etx man have iner- course with her and satisfy himself, while she remains unaroused. ‘Quite satrlly, ring ie from he mascline dread f impotence, Jesbians can, and often do, experiment heterosenually, even thoug they are not atracted to men, and have litle spontancous ertic Teelng toward them. The soil convention that requires the man {o uke the iat and cass the woman ina passive rol, makes {his proces easier fora lesbian, On the other hands & homosexual tran doesnot get cornered in heterosexual love making less Be Sars it himself, unlike the lesbian Who waits pasively wating to be stimlated by male advances. While people envy the carefree bachelor, spinster, left alone, ‘evokes only mild py and condescension in the eyes of society. ‘Men enjoy greater advantages in the business and profesional ‘orld than women do. They get beter jobs, make more mONeY Bnd end to achive higher poskions. more easly nd tis only though marriage that a. woman gels a share in these economic advantages, Immaterial of the. setual orientation, mos women save the security of a Settled. home which increases a woman's PPesonal and socal standing, besides the ict that homosexual ‘rntation doesnot necessarily deprive a woman of het deste for ‘Motherhood. Many womea, even. heterosexuals, for that matte, ‘ho hve no interest im sex for its own sake, find the possibilty of having children a powerful inducement. Moreover, the lesbian woman can mary without exposing her imudsquaey—since society {ends to ascept the notion that many women are by nature some: ‘what cold and lick interest in sex. Vasious studies do reveal that some homosexual women who ‘enter into marriage for social more than sexual reasons neverthe- Jos find fullmen with thei husbands, and become completely What is Homosexuality? a weaned away from their initial lesbian tendencies. But on the other hand, just the opposite has also happened. Some sich mar Fiages have run into disaster. The root cause for this could be attributed tothe fet that some women remain incompletely arow- Sed sexually until they experience the right style of love making. fnd with a lesbian wife there is always the posibily that she will be swept off her feet by some passionate woman friend though, comparatively late in fe. Diana. Chapman, inher article “What 8 Lesbian?” in The Family Doctor, August 1965, quotes one wile ‘8 saying she had. been fairly happily married for six years til she ‘et a woman, “and it was as though Td been sound asleep all my lee”. Dr. CW. Socarides, an “American psychoanalyst. in. his book Female Homosexualiy comments that in general male home. Sexuals donot see marriage a5 4 solution, tut ksbians are particularly fable to enter into unsatisfying unions and to persist ‘a them tothe detriment ofall concerned. Lesbians with heterosexual experience claim that an orgasm achieved throwgh homosetual activites is incomparably more satisfying. And this is supporied by the Kinsey study, which = ‘Yeals-a higher incidence of orgasm among lesbians than among. Sterojeual omen, The natural eiplnation woud be that ke >ians have @ natural advantage over male parners, who often foray nations of female anatomy and sexual unconng, marin maa movements among women tend 10 be concerned pi ‘eneral, rather Protection of women’s ‘than lesbian i ree at Per, and et though on mente ‘tan Ns in particular, “ be ily Msc {how nhomaatintnt worn nil never ee nee ‘continue to rely on males for their fen motional an ctl Maser and Jason hase rponed tha nace a eee a mae lig Som oat ‘he mae pei. Kate Milt has putts way ee PTE 10 The lini. the Be gmiy human drain which i specie to Salty and io seal fare The pele Ro es a2 oth in elimination and reproduction. Whi the neice sta lied the female's appears to be tclopealy Set Ineshaustible, and. apart trom a Appear eet"4 The World of Homosexuale In spite of the various points of contrast lesbianism and homo- senuality have one feature in common. For a homosexual, self: ‘ceplance, « major part of growing up, is particularly dificult fs he faces the additional hurdle of being an_outeast in society. ‘To be a homosexual in any society is to be constantly aware that ‘ons bears a stigma. Despite recent advances in the sociology of homosexuality, there i sti lite genuine acceptance oft as a valid sexual and social lifestyle. The homosexual is constantly made ‘aware of thisin the jokes and caricatures of theatre and cinema, the pain of parents and other family members and in the uncer. tintes of the future in biased society. ‘All homosexuals share anced, They share a need to come to terms with the burden which the rest of society imposes on them~ the Ihanicap of belonging to & minority for which not metely is there ‘no soval acceptance but which is positively usliked and persecuted ‘by the majority. And this gives ro a homosenual’s life @ complexity ‘and a dimension unknown to heterosexuals. Tn every society there is a homosexual sub-culure, which is conditioned by, responds ¢0, of Feacts against, majority attitudes ‘and values, Some homosexuals, by force of circumstance, and some perhaps also rom inclination to indulge in selfeonscious rejection Of conventional standards of morality and. virwe, regard promis- cuity and unfathfulnes less seriously than most heterosexuals do. But there are also homosexuals who possess a greater honesty and integrity towards other people and a franker enjoyment of the pleasures of sex than many heterosexuals achieve. “Today, although in India there ate laws which allow the prosecu- tion of adults committing homosexual act, prosecutions are very fare. In the USA homosexual acts are punishable only i commit- in public or with a minot. But egal acceptance does not neces- sarily mean social aeseptance and ici in this area that the homo- Senual Teels most oppressed, The homosexual wishes to be accepted ‘by society, t0 which he contributes as much as the heterosexual, ‘This implies, of course, that society should accept that emotional nd physical attraction to someone of the same sex is a meaningful a8 helerosexual relationship. ‘i “The word homosexual is a generic tem including both men and women, and the conventional defnition of homovesualty has WOMED Bien a behavioural one-—a homoscsual is anyone wh What te Homosesuatty? 2 ‘ren sr act hacer borer. Yo oly 4 moments thought Mould show the inadequacy “epee haviour approach Human’ Beings re dings by cspaciyfor experiences wel 8 by tet bekvione ned Spray a ich a mater of emeton a « eal manpulon (Gove Via ha rail med that the word homes eed oly a8 active to deci a sna atigent es 4 cu (deste reopied ypefor plas the hone ie seit ina way that Rote for the Reese calaus Hompires has sugested tha he move inal ack rect his homoserealiy, the mors tps apee tnd liberal his atts wil be, The’ homenceal wik aes homossuaity. Ths general "reaction fore & peawally called a “reason ” Mos ofthe tins he is unaware of his own homer aan 4d ony cxeainally do homoseal frases nl Inputs et ds comsiouses: Oczatonly he may suc o them yea feetmey gy Somes he ence to all bt the indian himsl or ene Or rae See ‘mp heen ob ugh a he indy fae ines aanety and personaly diorpnaton, Lave nate ee “homosexual panic.” “e sx eset who consout of his o¢ her re guilty, but does not ts rl en lomosnuls who sk to ‘escpy fom tet nes oe She “hai nb ey ni tuk os a in euty feng. Akola tas hee Some Honotetal spay mong mens whee ie dung ote ne ve henonal aarenste at a ‘elu thi etic dayne urate ees ‘ean novel by Charles Jackeon, desis with cueh a ente, thaugh the