Theos-Talk Archives (April 2004 Message tt00265)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "kpauljohnson" <kpauljohnson@y...> 
wrote:
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "stevestubbs" <stevestubbs@y...> 
> wrote:
> > 
> > Well, I am sure they know far more about it than I do since I 
know 
> > almost nothing. But there seems to be a three way connection 
> between 
> > homosexuality, pedophilia, and priesthood, since both the Anglo-
> > Cathoolic (Church of England) and Roman Catholic priesthoods have 
> > attracted a plethora of them. What makes that relevant to 
> > theosophical history is that Leadbeater was an Anglican priest 
who 
> > hightailed it out of England for unexplained reasons before 
> > proclaiming himself a clairvoyant. In his excellent 
autobiography 
> IN 
> > MY OWN WAY, Alan Watts (who was definitely hetero and who ended 
up 
> > divorced when he confessed to a group that included his wife that 
> he 
> > saw nothing wrong with infidelty) said from direct observation 
> that 
> > the Anglican priesthood attracted homosexuals because of the 
> frilly 
> > lace garments they wore.
> 
> One can't observe motivations directly, but only deduce them 
(unless 
> some priests actually declared such a motivation which seems highly 
> unlikely.) Most crossdressers are straight; that's why they find 
> women's clothing arousing. So this story sounds like hogwash.

Thank you for your comments. Actually it is a theory and not a 
story. Having never set foot in an Anglican church in my life with 
the exception of Westminster Abbey I was quoting Watts indirectly, 
since he was immersed in that world. So that is his opinion and not 
mine. Watts is dead as a doornail and smouldering in some unhappy 
grave so we cannot ask him if any priests declared their motivation. 
If you know any Anglican priests they might have some interesting 
things to say about this. I am 100% out of their world, and know 
none.

However, when I was in graduate school one of my professors offered 
extra credit if we were to watch the movie PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE 
DESERT and comment on it. The course was a counseling course but I 
do not remember which one. The film (Australian) developed the 
thesis that homosexuals in Australia at least like to dress as women 
and refer to themselves as "girls." Joan Collins made some similar 
observations in her autobiography PAST IMPERFECT, and a commentator 
on the news discussing the Catholic priesthood said the same thing 
about Catholic priests. That is abput the sum total of everything I 
know about it, but those three observations seemed to lend 
credibility to Watts' theory.

There is also the interesting theory of Sigmund Freud that 
homosexuality is a response to early adolescent trauma (usually 
unrequited love but sometimes intense rivalry with someone else who 
is more powerful) which results in what he calls "psychological 
gender reversal." The individual in question becomes psychologically 
the other gender from what he or she is anatomically, in other words, 
which is why he or she is attracted to persons of the same anatomical 
sex. This is a different diagnostic category from Gender Identity 
Disorder (GID) which shows up in early chldhood. I heard a lecture 
by a psychiatrist who said homosexuals are seeking in other men the 
masculinity which they feel they lack within themselves, which if 
true seems to lend credibility to Freud's theory. Everyone has this 
early adolescent trauma (most people repress the memory so not 
remembering it does not mean it dod not happen) but the reason 
different people deal with it in such different ways is something of 
a mystery. Here again I am repeating opinions I have heard from 
others since I have none of my own. Anyway, if Leadbeater was 
psychologically female as per Freud's theory he might indeed like the 
idea of dressing in frilly garments, but not for the purpose of 
getting off.