In reference to this, the experiences of Tarnowsky (op. cit., p. 53 et seq.), gathered from the society of St. Petersburg, are terrible. The places where pederasty is cultivated are Institutes. Old roués and urnings play the rôle of seducers. At first it is difficult for the person to carry out the disgusting act. Fancy is made to assist by calling up the image of a woman. Gradually, with practice, the unnatural act becomes easy, and at last the individual, like one injured by masturbation, becomes relatively impotent for women, and lustful enough to find pleasure in the perverse act. Such individuals, under certain circumstances, give themselves for money.
As Tardieu, Hofmann, Simon, and Taylor show, such individuals are not infrequently found in large cities. From numerous statements made to me by urnings, it is learned that actual prostitution and houses of prostitution for male-loving men exist in large cities. The arts of coquetry used by these male prostitutes are noteworthy,—ornament, perfumes, feminine styles of dress, etc., to attract pederasts and urnings. This imitation of feminine peculiarities is spontaneous and unconscious in congenital cases, and in many acquired cases of (abnormal) contrary sexual instinct.
The following lines are of interest to the psychologist, and offer the officers of the law important facts concerning the social life and practice of pederasts:—
The "amateurs" ("rivettes") are debauched persons, but also frequently congenitally perverse sexually, of position and fortune, who are forced to guard themselves against detection in the gratification of their homo-sexual desires. For this purpose they visit brothels, lodging-houses, or the private houses of female prostitutes, who are usually on good terms with male prostitutes. Thus they escape blackmail.
Some of these "amateurs" are cunning enough to indulge their vile desires in public places. They thus run the risk of arrest, but, in a large city, little risk of blackmail. Danger is said to add to their secret pleasure.
The "entreteneurs" are old sinners who, even with the danger of falling into the hands of blackmailers, cannot deny themselves the pleasure of keeping a (male) mistress.
The "souteneurs" are pederasts that have been punished, who keep their "jesus," whom they send out to entice customers ("faire chanter les rivettes"), and who then, at the right moment, if possible, appear for the purpose of plucking the victim.
Not infrequently they live together in bands, the members, in accordance with individual desire, living together as husbands and wives.
