CONCLUSIONS ON THE IMPACT OF OTHER CULTURES
The following are the conclusions drawn by Dr. Parker Rossman to the seven case studies presented in Chapter 9, “The Impact of Other Cultures” in his Sexual Experience Between Men and Boys (originally published in 1976). This chapter, introduced here, was intended to show how pederasts from repressive countries were changed by their experiences in accepting ones is a primary source for the history of Greek love.
Some Concluding Observations
- Mariani[1] points out that pederasty seems to flourish in two radically different types of society. First, there is the Spartan military society with a good deal of comradely pederasty. Perhaps, he says, such all male societies want to keep petticoat influences out of camp. However tolerant such a society may be of man-boy sex play, it is secret, private and excludes foreigners. The second type is a pleasure- and luxury-oriented society with an indulgent, sensate sort of sex play, because, despite religious sanctions, there inevitably seems to be a good deal of pederasty in societies which are pro-sex pleasure.
- Most pederasts report that they found boys to be more interested in sex play in countries other than their own. It is intriguing, for example, to note that a German pederast who visited New York City in 1971, after surveying the pederast scene on four continents, reported: (1) there were as many boy prostitutes easily available in New York as in any other city in the world, and (2) that the typical post-pubescent American boy was as immediately responsive to sexual overtures as those of Southeast Asia or North Africa. The German generally talked to boys who were with their families in tourist areas, in arriving at the second conclusion. He found these boys initially fearful, but hardly inhibited at all after they found him trustworthy in keeping their confidences.
- An interesting recent reversal is evident in North Africa where pederasty is being driven underground by strict new government measures;[2] in sharp contrast with France where, as portrayed in current novels,[3] there is now what one observer has called a ‘veritable invasion of pederasty from North Africa.’ Whereas previous generations brought pederastic tastes back from Africa with them (which caused a scandalous amount of boy prostitution in France[4] until the French social work profession achieved close supervision of abandoned and neglected youngsters), there is now evidence of a new sort of cross-cultural influence, somewhat like that which the Puerto Ricans have brought to New York City, with hordes of sexually playful North African youngsters now in France to fertilize the seeds of pederasty long seen in French art, youth movements, and novels.
- There is no adequate evidence on Communist societies such as China, or Albania where pederasty was well-rooted,[5] as to the success of Marxist societies in rooting out sexual deviancy. Certainly, if pederasty exists it is deep underground.
- A hundred other stories similar to those told here could be included about other countries such as Senegal, Colombia, Sweden, Indonesia, Mexico, and so on. The obvious evidence as to the impact of another culture in stimulating the desire for new sexual experiences, as well as providing the opportunity to indulge in sexual activities a tourist would not risk at home, and awakening latent pederast tastes is present in a large number of these case studies. There seems to be little question, after one has examined the data that (1) the availability of exotic types of sexual experience to tourists has an impact on their sexual behavior after they return home, and (2) that sexual cultures are modified, and law enforcement is made difficult, as a result of cross-cultural influences in a world which does not yet have a world society and world law.
- All that is said in this chapter should be tempered by the reminder that in such colonial and tourist areas it is the common view of local persons that pederasty there is caused by persons from England, Germany, etc., “where pederasty is rife.”
[1] Fosco Mariani, Where Four Worlds Meet (New York, 1964), p. 88. [Author’s footnote 22]
[2] See Marc Daniel, “Le Civilisation Arabe et l’amour Masculine,” Arcadie, Jan. 1975, p. 9, on puritan measures in Tunisia. [Author’s footnote 23]
[3] “For example, Duvert (1967), Duvert (1969), Duvert (1973).” [Author’s footnote 24] Though works by Duvert are listed in Rossman’s bibliography, none of them correspond in date to these citations.
[4] See references cited in Drew and Drake (1969), pp. 33-47. [Author’s footnote 25]
[5] Paul Nacke, “Über Homosexualität in Albanien,” Jahrbuch für Sexuelle Zwischenstufen 9:325 ff. (1908) [Author’s footnote 26].
Comments
If you would like to leave a comment on this webpage, please e-mail it to greek.love.tta@gmail.com, mentioning either the title or the url of the page so that the editor can add it.