Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/660

 scale, are to be traced everywhere. A special observer of youthful homosexuality in America has stated that the practices of uranian boys in school and so on are in his opinion "nowhere quite so general" as in the United States; and that, in his judgment, such youthful habits are "more racially mischievous than in England" owing to the highly neurotic types of American lads. This latter theory is interesting.

Certain smart clubs are well-known for their homosexual atmospheres, in New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, New Orleans, St. Louis, and other centers. Resorts in the way of steam-baths and restaurants are plentifully known—to the initiated. With many such resorts there is no police-interference, though their proceedings and patronage, night by night, day by day, are perfectly plain. A special factor in homosexual uses of vapour-bath establishments (in larger cities) is the fact that in America these are kept open, and much patronized, during all night-hours, and first morning ones; indeed some are never closed at all; in many examples a double staff of attendants being employed. In most such baths, each client has always a separate dressing-room, usually with a couch. What "goes on" is under the guests own lock and key, and without surveillance. New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Philadelphia, are "homosexual capitals."

A distinguished European singer (homosexual) who has several times visited the United States, and is now familiar with every part of it, states that he "has never been in any country where the uranian element, was so widely-distributed, and averaged such highclass moral and intellectual types as in North America." A homosexual actor of Continental fame, not only for talent but beauty, has declared that after an exceptionally large experience in 'attentions,' no other male public has ever so often written to him, or otherwise sought contact socially with him through homosexual passion for him, as the American homosexuals.

The frequency of social scandals connected with homosexualism in America has been mentioned. The married Uranian is constantly encountered in America. But perhaps because the "marriage of convenience," the "loveless marriage," is far less frequent in the United-States than in British or Continental European society, as also because the American woman seems—as of race—less sexually ardent, scandals connecting uranianism and marriage are not plentiful.