It will be of interest to record on this question the opinion of a man who is looked upon as the spiritual leader of the homosexual circle in a cosmopolitan city, a man who has organized them and who has had considerable experience. This gentleman writes me:
“My Dear Doctor:
“In conformity with your wish I am sending you herewith a number of life histories.
“First I wish to report to you the result of a questionnaire; I have reached with the questionnaire 800 persons. It is noteworthy that none of them knew that the answer to the question was of any particular interest to me, for the question and the answer came up unobtrusively in the course of ordinary conversation. This disposes of the criticism sometimes heard in medical circles that the answers to interrogatories are of little or no worth because the respondents unconsciously report things in a manner to favor themselves if they do not deliberately tell falsehoods with that end in view.
“Among the 800 persons interrogated 65% stated that the mother was unusually energetic and self-reliant, while the father was mild and easy going, as well as diffident and easily influenced.
“In my opinion these 65% represent the hereditary cases; there may be some also among the other 35% due to hereditary transmission but this, of course, I am unable to ascertain and it would be interesting to conduct a medical inquiry into the subject.
“In favor of a hereditary predisposition as the most general factor stands also the fact that in many families the homosexual’s sisters or brothers show a similar tendency.”
Illustrations
U. Sch., 26 years of age, a merchant. The mother extraordinarily self-reliant and the one who determines the course of action in every family emergency. Father good-natured fellow, easily influenced. U. Sch. has been several years ago under the care of Prof. Pilz. At the time he had some intercourse with women, but the act always caused him disgust and did not diminish his need to get into contact with men. At first he tried to oppose this leaning towards men, but after two months of struggle—during which he lost considerable weight—he had to give in again and today he maintains relations exclusively with men. His brother, six years younger than he, is an actor and is also homosexual. An older brother, also a merchant, is completely normal in his sexual life, but far from self reliant and very moody. His sister is also heterosexual, but has male traits and physical features, hairy growth on the face and a bass voice which would be considered very low even in a man.