Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 | Page 9

generally accompanied by a guardian, and
usually nothing very serious takes place, for they know their value, and
money will not always buy their expensive favors. They are very
effeminate, luxuriously dressed and perfumed, and they seldom go on
foot. There are, however, lower orders of such prostitutes.[26]
Homosexuality is easily traceable in India. Dubois referred to houses
devoted to male prostitution, with men dressed as women, and
imitating the ways of women.[27] Burton in the "Terminal Essay" to
his translation of the Arabian Nights, states that when in 1845 Sir
Charles Napier conquered and annexed Sind three brothels of eunuchs
and boys were found in the small town of Karachi, and Burton was
instructed to visit and report on them. Hindus, in general, however, it
appears, hold homosexuality in abhorrence. In Afghanistan
homosexuality is more generally accepted, and Burton stated that "each
caravan is accompanied by a number of boys and lads almost in
woman's attire, with kohled eyes and rouged cheeks, long tresses and
hennaed fingers and toes, riding luxuriously in camel paniers."
If we turn to the New World, we find that among the American Indians,
from the Eskimo of Alaska downward to Brazil and still farther south,
homosexual customs have been very frequently observed. Sometimes
they are regarded by the tribe with honor, sometimes with indifference,
sometimes with contempt; but they appear to be always tolerated.
Although there are local differences, these customs, on the whole, seem
to have much in common. The best early description which I have been
able to find is by Langsdorff[28] and concerns the Aleuts of
Oonalashka in Alaska: "Boys, if they happen to be very handsome," he
says, "are often brought up entirely in the manner of girls, and
instructed in the arts women use to please men; their beards are
carefully plucked out as soon as they begin to appear, and their chins
tattooed like those of women; they wear ornaments of glass beads upon
their legs and arms, bind and cut their hair in the same manner as the
women, and supply their place with the men as concubines. This
shocking, unnatural, and immoral practice has obtained here even from

the remotest times; nor have any measures hitherto been taken to
repress and restrain it; such men are known under the name of
schopans."
Among the Konyagas Langsdorff found the custom much more
common than among the Aleuts; he remarks that, although the mothers
brought up some of their children in this way, they seemed very fond of
their offspring. Lisiansky, at about the same period, tells us that: "Of all
the customs of these islanders, the most disgusting is that of men,
called schoopans, living with men, and supplying the place of women.
These are brought up from their infancy with females, and taught all the
feminine arts. They even assume the manner and dress of the women so
nearly that a stranger would naturally take them for what they are not.
This odious practice was formerly so prevalent that the residence of one
of these monsters in a house was considered as fortunate; it is, however,
daily losing ground."[29] He mentions a case in which a priest had
nearly married two males, when an interpreter chanced to come in and
was able to inform him what he was doing.
The practice has, however, apparently continued to be fairly common
among the Alaska Eskimos down to recent times. Thus Dr. Engelmann
mentioned to me that he was informed by those who had lived in
Alaska, especially near Point Barrow, that as many as 5 such
individuals (regarded by uninstructed strangers as "hermaphrodites")
might be found in a single comparatively small community. It is stated
by Davydoff, as quoted by Holmberg,[30] that the boy is selected to be
a schopan because he is girl-like. This is a point of some interest as it
indicates that the schopan is not effeminated solely by suggestion and
association, but is probably feminine by inborn constitution.
In Louisiana, Florida, Yucatan, etc., somewhat similar customs exist or
have existed. In Brazil men are to be found dressed as women and
solely occupying themselves with feminine occupations; they are not
very highly regarded.[31] They are called cudinas: i.e., circumcized.
Among the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico these individuals are called
mujerados (supposed to be a corruption of mujeriego) and are the chief
passive agents in the homosexual ceremonies of these people. They are

said to be intentionally effeminated in early life by much masturbation
and by constant horse-riding.[32]
Among all the tribes of the northwest United States sexual inverts may
be found. The invert is called a boté ("not man, not woman") by the
Montana, and a burdash ("half-man, half-woman") by the Washington
Indians. The boté has been carefully studied by Dr. A.B. Holder.[33]
Holder finds