Raffalovich, Uranism. 35 



reticence, have taught me many things either generally unknown 

 or neglected. 



These are some of the observations. 



The inverts are not at all content with the old explanation 

 of the feminine soul in the masculine body. Some of them 

 are more masculine than other men and are attracted to their 

 own sex in proportion to the resemblance. They say that they 

 despise women too much to be effeminate. Others think that 

 similarity is a passion comparable to that excited by sexual dis- 

 similarity. As men, they love men ; but they affirm that if 

 they were women, they would love women. These are the uni- 

 sexuals par excellence. They are also the superior and the 

 most interesting ones, they are perhaps the only ones who do 

 not deceive either for the pleasure of deceiving or unconsciously. 

 It might be admitted (and this would be a pretty general rule) 

 that the more moral value a unisexual has the less effeminate 

 he is. 



It is an error to suppose that the unisexuals, the inverts, 

 recognize each other. This is one of their boasts which has 

 been often repeated ; but one of their subjects of conversation 

 is the very question whether this or that one shares their tastes, 

 habits or proclivities. The effeminate of course recognize each 

 other, but one may recognize them quite as easily without be- 

 ing himself effeminate. But prudence, self-love, pride, self- 

 respect, a deep affection, a thousand sentiments, prevent a uni- 

 sexual from betraying himself thus unless he is debauched or 

 very effeminate. I think that the congenital inverts are less 

 vicious and debauched, more honorable and estimable than most 

 perverts. One may without much inconvenience (or even with- 

 out any) be united by the ties of friendship with a congenital 

 invert ; but I have never found a pervert whose perversion was 

 simply sexual. It is, however, possible that exceptional cir- 

 cumstances — isolation, or the influence of a remarkable and su- 

 perior invert — should act upon an individual and invert him 

 without great injury to the rest of his character. In this case 

 one would not be aware of the inversion, for it would be limited 

 to the relations with a single person, the superior invert, and it 



