Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/451

 to thirty-five, than by a boy in his early teens. A robust-natured Urning is repelled by too-feminine suggestions in boyish types, however graceful and winning. "I might as well expect to find enjoyment with a pretty young woman!" he exclaims. He must have virile contacts, the mature embrace, male magnetism, the sense of physical lust which a man imparts; this even when the innocence of youth does not deter him. If of strong characteristics he is also likely to detest the company of effeminate; flaccid homosexuals; to which types the male prostitute constantly affiliates. Many Uranians suffer sexual torments, live in sexual solitudes, rather than visit any Uranian club, or have to do with male prostitutes. This is particularly an attitude of the virile Uranian, of high-grade idealism. His body is the sufferer by his idealism. He will accept nothing less worthy, less psychically his own complement; he will not tolerate the ugly and degenerate and unclean.

"Why, then," asks the reader, "does any Uranian, of refinement, dignity and superiour station, descend to physical rapports with a street-catamite? Why does he make such acquaintances? Why does he ever enter a miscellaneous, vulgarized homosexual club? Why associate momentarily, not to speak of long-time, with coarse or sordid types?" Explanations are easy. In innumerable cases, the Uranian of higher nature is not so lucky as to have among his friends even one to be loved, physically and psychically; with such a sentiment returned, and with circumstances favouring the intimacy. His ideal, is never thus realized. He must lead his life sexually alone. But his sexual physique demands its relief, craves its pacification. Nerves and brain alike suffer, to torment. He feels often the need of being able to be himself with any other human being sexually at all like himself. As a parallel—the heterosexual man who would gladly keep a mistress