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)
It is, moreover, noteworthy that a remarkably large proportion of the
cases in which homosexuality has led to crimes of violence, or otherwise
come under medico-legal observation, has been among women. It is well
know that the part taken by women generally in open criminality, and
especially in crimes of violence, is small as compared with men.[144] In
the homosexual field, as we might have anticipated, the conditions are to
some extent reversed. Inverted men, in whom a more or less feminine
temperament is so often found, are rarely impelled to acts of aggressive
violence, though they frequently commit suicide. Inverted women, who may
retain their feminine emotionality combined with some degree of infantile
impulsiveness and masculine energy, present a favorable soil for the seeds
of passional crime, under those conditions of jealousy and allied emotions
which must so often enter into the invert's life.
The first conspicuous example of this tendency in recent times is
the Memphis case (1892) in the United States. (Arthur Macdonald,
"Observation de Sexualité Pathologique Feminine," _Archives
d'Anthropologie Criminelle_, May, 1895; see also Krafft-Ebing,
_Psychopathia Sexualis_, Eng. trans, of 10th ed., p. 550.) In
this case a congenital sexual invert, Alice Mitchell, planned a
marriage with Freda Ward, taking a male-name and costume. This
scheme was frustrated by Freda's sister, and Alice Mitchell then
cut Freda's throat. There is no reason to suppose that she was
insane at the time of the murder. She was a typical invert of a
very pronounced kind. Her mother had been insane and had
homicidal impulses. She herself was considered unbalanced, and
was masculine in her habits from her earliest years. Her face was
obviously unsymmetrical and she had an appearance of youthfulness
below her age. She was not vicious, and had little knowledge of
sexual matters, but when she kissed Freda she was ashamed of
being seen, while Freda could see no reason for being ashamed.
She was adjudged insane.
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