As homosexual acts would remain illegal for another decade following the publication of Richard Hauser's The Homosexual Society, there's no mention of "The Smug Professional", "The Relentlessly Campaigning", "The Annoying TV Comedian" or "The Tediously Smutty Chat Show Host" varieties, I notice. But why no mention of either "The Sinister Oxbridge Don" or "The Foreign Office Traitor", which would presumably both have been subsets of what George Orwell called "The Pansy Left" type? And no reference to "Screaming", "Roaring" and "Flamboyant" types, or even to the "Effeminate" or "Exagerratedly Masculine" varieties.
I wonder if there was a section on lesbians? As a copy of the original edition of The Homosexual Society in good condition costs a whopping £79.99 on Amazon, I'll just have to go on wondering.
What, no 'screamingly effete weather forecaster'?
ReplyDeleteI've taken to wondering lately whether homosexuality is currently a requirement to become a BBC weather bore.. sorry, I mean 'global warming' preacher.
The Weatherman
DeleteThe Stephen Fry
The Channel 4 News Culture Correspondent (although he seems to have been ditched - what a shame)
...and, in a nod to Dennis Nielsen...
The Boring Humourless Friendless Scots-Norwegian Union Activist Public Sector Employee Mass-Murdering Psychopath
My ancient greek is a bit rusty, but on checking 'ephebe' I discovered, along with the rest of the list, that I am not any of these 'sorts'.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what I did discover recently in Cecil Court, a tight little passage (I must stop this) off St Martin's Lane, is that although this is my 70th year, I still hold a strong appeal for the 'Cottage' Type (see above).
Minding my own business in a wonderful music-bookshop, waiting for ENO to open-up, a very dapper young man in a Burberry sidled up and, without a by your leave, asked me if I was 'looking for friendship'. I replied that 'no', I was looking for a book, and off he scuttled.
The opera was Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth and, in the interval, I pulled again, this time a charming Dutch woman who obviously was looking for friendship. I really must get out more - or less.
I'm jealous, mahlerman - you've obviously still got it! The last time I was approached - by a tiny sailor in uniform, believe it or not - was on Waterloo Bridge forty years'a ago. I've evidently lost it.
DeleteI think the compilers of this list were looking for the word "catamite" instead of "ephebe".
ReplyDeleteI know you are aware that the homosexual mass murderer, Dennis Nielsen, is of mixed Norwegian-Scottish parentage ["Killing for Company"] and his favourite pick-up spot was "The Salisbury" which is on the corner of St. Martin's Lane and the abovementioned Cecil Court.
I prefer the simple classification of "The Village People".Be a friend to Dorothy.
I'm impressed by your knowledge of the 1970s London gay scene, SDG.
DeleteAt your prompting, I've added Dennis Nielsen to the list in another comment.
Just to show off my recently-acquired Classical knowledge, "Catamite" comes from "Catamitus" which is the Latin form of the Greek word "Gannymede", which was the name of a boy abducted by that dirty old switch-hitter, Zeus, to serve as his - ahem - cup-bearer in Olympus. So there. Apparently, Thebes was particularly noted for pederasty.
Not on the list is the ambassadorial type who as soon as he's abroad will insist on presenting his credentials to any interested party.There's just no stopping him.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to add "Boom! Boom!", southern man.
DeleteI expect you've, er... come across quite a few of these types in your extensive travels.