The pseudonymous author, Donald Webster Cory, pseudonym of sociologist Edward Sagarin, went on to be a major, if controversial figure in the homophile movement. ––Edward Sagarin (aka Donald Webster Cory), The Homosexual in America (1951)įirst published in 1951, The Homosexual in America, also known as the “ Cory Report,” served as an unofficial gay bible in the immediate post-war years, continuously in print throughout the 1950s and 1960s. One does not hide one’s head as an acquaintance walks by one does not deny encounters, but on the contrary makes appointments, utilizes the meeting-place for social convenience.” “One wanders into the bar in the hope of finding the convivial spirit that comes from being with one’s own… From the gay street to the gay bar may be but a few steps, or several miles, but an aura of respectability is to be found at the latter that is lacking at the former.
First published on OutHistory June 19, 2017
