-
Title
-
Pomeroy: Who Do You Make 'It' With?
-
Description
-
Article in the April 30, 1971 issue of the Campus Times describing the speech given by Dr. Wardell Pomeroy at the University.
-
Creator
-
Campus Times
-
Date
-
1971-04-30
-
Format
-
Newspaper
-
Language
-
eng
-
Publisher
-
University of Rochester
-
Rights
-
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
-
Source
-
Campus Times (April 30, 1971), Campus times (University of Rochester), LD4747.C197, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
-
Text
-
Dr. Wardell Pomeroy, co-author of the Kinsey Report and researcher at the Institute for Sex Research from 1943-1963, discussed Gender Roles and Homosexuality Wednesday evening in Danforth.
He stated that there are two factors involved in sexual identification. Gender role is “what people think of themselves as,” either masculine or feminine; sexual object choice is the sex of those who one prefers as sexual partners. From this, he made the following definitions: a male who sees himself as male and prefers females as sexual partners is heterosexual; a male who sees himself as male and prefers males — is homosexual; a male who, he later stressed, plays the role of fact, that he is a female trapped in a male’s body, and prefers males is a transsexual.
Since the advent of Christine Jorgenson, Pomeroy claimed, more attention has been paid to transsexuality. Now there are hospitals in this country and others where transformation operations are done openly and with some frequency; they are rapidly becoming an answer for an increasing number of transsexuals. The number of females who become males is somewhat lower than that of males becoming females. He proposed that transsexual feelings go back to early life, are established by age three, and cannot be altered later.
Pomeroy explained the procedure for both sexes. In order to become females, males are given massive doses of female hormones for six months to a year. During this time breasts develop, the body contour changes, and the voice and hair become softer. Then the penis and testes are surgically removed, ‘an incision made in the perineum, and the scrotal sac is inverted to become an artificial vagina. Sometimes a skin graft from the leg is used for the vaginal lining.
Pomeroy claimed that some of these “females” marry without their husbands ever knowing of the operation, and most function well in their new anatomical identity. In the transition from male to female, he stated, such factors as loss of income are compensated for by a better attitude toward oneself.
In the switch from female to male, the subject receives massive doses of male hormones from six months to a year, during which time face hair appears and the voice lowers. The breasts are surgically removed and a complete hysterectomy is performed. Some people also desire a penis transplant. This is “not nearly as satisfying an operation surgically, cosmetically, and functionally” as the male-to-female one, Pomeroy stated, but these people also seem more at ease with themselves afterward.
Pomeroy then focused on homosexuality. He stated that although heterosexuality predominates in mammals, homosexuality has been observed in all types of mammals
studied. He pointed out that taboos against homosexuality are stronger in our culture than in others, and we tend to abhor male homosexuality more than female, whereas in other cultures male homosexuality is tolerated more than female. He ascribed this to
the influence of Judeo-Christian mores.
Pomeroy stressed that there is not a dichotomy but rather a continuum between heterosexuality and homosexuality. The Institute for Sex Research devised a scale
from 0-6, zero indicating total heterosexuality and six, homosexuality. Of the males studied by the Institute, fifty per cent’ were rated as one or more on this ‘seale for three years or more during their lives; eighteen percent were three or more; thirteen per cent, four or more; ten percent, five or more; eight per cent exclusively homosexual; and four percent exclusively homosexual throughout life. He explained, “Because the female appears to be a less sexual animal than the male, we can cut these figures in half
for females.” He said that education level doesn’t count much’ in likelihood or homosexuality, and that the devoutly religious were found to be “lower in homosexual activity but also lower in heterosexual activity than the non-devout.”
He indicated that there are many reasons why female homosexuality — is less condemned than male homo-sexuality in our society. In the early Jewish culture, females were considered chattel; in female homosexuality, the merchandise isn’t damaged. Female homosexuals don’t affront society — there are no female homosexual prostitutes as there are male. The public isn’t too clear on what females do homosexually. There is no loss of the revered semen, “the seed.” The male is supposed to pursue; if the female doesn’t get caught, she becomes a spinster and society tends to be more forgiving toward the sexual transgressions of old maids. Almost no force is involved in female homosexuality. Pomeroy pointed out that the: idea of force in male homosexuality is vastly overplayed, but applies to some degree.
“Males and females can develop into homosexuals for different reasons,” Pomeroy stated. The first and foremost is simple conditioning process; a child repeats what
has been enjoyable. This is especially applicable to one-sexed institutions. Segregation of the sexes during adolescence provides more opportunities to develop sexual activities with the same sex. In accordance with the male alliance theory, those males who are rejected from all-male groups for one reason or another are more likely to become homosexuals than those who are included. Pomeroy disputed Freud’s theories concerning homosexual development, and also doubted hormonal and genetic explanations.
Pomeroy concluded that homosexuality is a way of life rather than an illness. Those who contend it is an illness point to evidence compiled by clinicians, who in fact see those homosexuals who are upset; in addition, there seems to be a higher percentage of upset homosexuals than upset straight people because of society’s attitude toward homosexuals. Pomeroy’s therapeutic approach is to help homosexuals accept comfortably their homosexuality and work positively toward heterosexuality only if they so desire.
A question and answer period followed the speech.
