THE HOMOSEXUAL NEUROSIS I _Everyone carries within himself a pattern of womanhood derived from his mother: that determines whether he should respect or depreciate woman; or whether his attitude towards woman in general should be one of indifference._ —_Nietzsche._ Our investigations thus far have repeatedly shown us that in the case of homosexuals the heterosexual path is merely blocked, but that it would be incorrect to hold that the pathway is altogether absent. I have proven that the individual, as representative of our modern culture, finds it impossible to maintain his bisexuality; therefore he represses either his homosexuality or his heterosexuality. We also convinced ourselves that organic bisexuality has nothing to do with psychic bisexuality. _Hirschfeld_ expressly emphasizes that he has met with homosexuality among strongly virile men and among persons typically female. The organic theory of homosexuality has broken down completely. One would suppose that the investigators would necessarily turn to the psychologic concept. No. The psychic forces are still underestimated and the heterosexual period of homosexuals is still overlooked. Although _Hirschfeld_ emphasizes that to psychoanalysis belongs the merit of having pointed out first the heterosexual component, why does he not draw the natural deductions from this acknowledged fact? He arrives at the following conclusions: 1. Genuine homosexuality is always an inborn condition. 2. This inborn state is conditioned by a specific homosexual constitution of the brain. 3. That specific brain structure is brought about through a peculiar mixed condition of male and female hereditary plasm. 4. That ambisexual state is found frequently associated with pronounced instability of the nervous system. 5. Between the specific and the nervous constitution there exists an intimate relationship. 6. All external causes are operative only in the presence of the inner homosexual constitution. 7. External causes—provocative—are so common that in 99 per cent. of cases the innate homosexual disposition breaks forth sooner or later and becomes clearly manifest in consciousness. 8. Homosexuality is neither a morbidity nor a degeneration; it is neither a taint nor a criminal trait, representing merely an aspect of natural development, a sexual variant, like many analogous sexual modifications in the animal and vegetal world. (_Hirschfeld, Homosexualität_, p. 394.) Our data do not uphold these contentions. How can _Hirschfeld_ speak of an innate homosexual constitution when elsewhere in his work he admits the constant presence of heterosexual instincts? How can he maintain that homosexuality is a trait reaching back to the very roots of individuality when every careful investigation proves the contrary?