Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2: Sexual InversionEllis, Havelock
Science
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2: Sexual Inversion
Ellis, Havelock
Sex; Sex (Psychology)
Having no passion for women, it was easy to avoid them. Yet they
inspired him with no exact horror. He used to dream of finding an
exit from his painful situation by cohabitation with some coarse,
boyish girl of the people; but his dread of syphilis stood in the
way. He felt, however, that he must conquer himself by efforts of
will, and by a persistent direction of his thoughts to
heterosexual images. He sought the society of distinguished
women. Once he coaxed up a romantic affection for a young girl of
15, which came to nothing, probably because the girl felt the
want of absolute passion in his wooing. She excited his
imagination, and he really loved her; but she did not, even in
the closest contact, stimulate his sexual appetite. Once, when he
kissed her just after she had risen from bed in the morning, a
curious physical repugnance came over him, attended with a sad
feeling of disappointment.
He was strongly advised to marry by physicians. At last he did
so. He found that he was potent, and begot several children, but
he also found, to his disappointment, that the tyranny of the
male genital organs on his fancy increased. Owing to this cause
his physical, mental, and moral discomfort became acute. His
health gave way.
At about the age of 30, unable to endure his position any longer,
he at last yielded to his sexual inclinations. As he began to do
this, he also began to regain calm and comparative health. He
formed a close alliance with a youth of 19. This _liaison_ was
largely sentimental, and marked by a kind of etherealized
sensuality. It involved no sexual acts beyond kissing, naked
contact, and rare involuntary emissions. About the age of 36 he
began freely to follow homosexual inclinations. After this he
rapidly recovered his health. The neurotic disturbances subsided.
He has always loved men younger than himself. At about the age of
27 he had begun to admire young soldiers. Since he yielded freely
to his inclinations the men he has sought are invariably persons
of a lower social rank than his own. He carried on one _liaison_
continuously for twelve years; it began without passion on the
friend's side, but gradually grew to nearly equal strength on
both sides. He is not attracted by uniforms, but seeks some
uncontaminated child of nature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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