"
From America a lady writes with reference to the moral position
of inverts, though without allusion to the Wilde trial:--
"Inverts should have the courage and independence to be
themselves, and to demand an investigation. If one strives to
live honorably, and considers the greatest good to the greatest
number, it is not a crime nor a disgrace to be an invert. I do
not need the law to defend me, neither do I desire to have any
concessions made for me, nor do I ask my friends to sacrifice
their ideals for me. I too have ideals which I shall always hold.
All that I desire--and I claim it as my right--is the freedom to
exercise this divine gift of loving, which is not a menace to
society nor a disgrace to me. Let it once be understood that the
average invert is not a moral degenerate nor a mental degenerate,
but simply a man or a woman who is less highly specialized, less
completely differentiated, than other men and women, and I
believe the prejudice against them will disappear, and if they
live uprightly they will surely win the esteem and consideration
of all thoughtful people.
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