Charles A. Ford: "Homosexual Practices of Institutionalized Females", January-March 1929

Ford, a member of the Ohio Bureau of Juvenile Research, details his investigation of sex between women in a "correctional" institution, most of whose inmates were imprisoned for "sexual indiscretions" (apparently a euphemism for heterosexual prostitution).

Ford's article, published in the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychiatry in 1929, conveys a fuller sense than Otis's pioneering report of those complex relations which developed among a particular group of women under the conditions of prison life.

Especially striking is Ford's suggestion of various attempts at a protective inmate community, organized against those in authority, and efforts to resist the dehumanizing effects of prison life, a community including prisoner-sanctioned interracial lesbian relations and written expressions of affection -- composed with stolen pencils and paper.

Readers may agree that lesbianism and male homosexuality take on a particular character in prison without accepting Ford's theoretical distinction between a supposedly "temporary or pseudo inversion," resulting from the "artificial conditions" of prison, and an allegedly "pathological," true homosexuality. Ford's article is typical of many later works in assuming that homosexuality. is the "problem," not the alienating society created by the prison situation.

To institutionalize individuals solves the problem of society temporarily, but this does not mean that once the individual is institutionalized he offers no problem. Even slight acquaintance with institutions shows a multiplicity of difficulties, one of the most universal of which is inmate homosexuality. . . . Because homosexuality is against the rules of the institution, it is carried on semi-secretly and no true statistics of its fre~uency can be collected. We cannot know, then, which type of institution has the greatest numerical problem, but in female institutions of the corrective type there are enough cases and enough ado about them to warrant some serious consideration of the problem. This statement is not meant to imply either a greater frequency or greater problem in female institutions but simply that the attitudes toward the problem justify its study.

Such studies are very few, however. In fact, but one that is directly concerned with this problem has been located, and in this Dr. Otis was concerned with but one phase of it, the colored and white girl relationships. Her study was conducted in one of the eastern states' institutions and describes conditions not unlike the ones that have come to the writer's attention in an entirely different location and fifteen years later. The colored relationships, the martyr feeling, the notes, the sexual significance, and the jealousies have all persisted. That the attitudes of the institutional heads and the same ineffectual means of meeting the situation have also persisted is both interesting and sad.

There has been considerable work done in the field of female homosexuality by such men as Ellis, Krafft-Ebing, and others. Their work in the main, was with different sorts of cases than the ones described in this paper. The condition they describe is truly pathological, usually superimposed upon a neurotic constitution and represents the sexual desires of a lifetime. The conditions are not the same for the institutionalized and they represent a sort of temporary or pseudo inversion. There are occasional references to this sort of thing in most of the books concerned with sexual pathology. . . . These references are not directly applicable, but are concerned with similar artificial conditions as in girls' schools or convents.

The following data were gathered in three main ways: (I) by observation of the inmates; (2) by contacts and interviews with the inmates before, during, or after their term, and (3) by interviewing the officers in charge of the institution. They are concerned largely, but not wholly, with one institution, a corrective one for female delinquents. Many of the inmates are retarded in mental development and some are actually feebleminded. As in most institutions of this type, the inmates are there mainly because of immorality, oftentimes coupled with other delinquencies as stealing and incorrigibility.

"Friend" is the term applied to those engaged in homosexuality. It is a generic term, and when a girl talks of her "friend" the only other question is concerned with the type of degree of homosexuality, which ranges from note passing with attendant imaginary homosexuality to mutual masturbation and cunnilinctus.

"Friends" are a sort of tradition in the school and have been a part of the order of things as long as it has been established. When a new girl arrives, she finds these "friendships" everywhere. She is approached by one or more of the girls in her cottage who ask which side she is on, the matrons' or the girls'. Upon her answer depends her future social plane. If she says she stands with the girls, she is tested in many small things, and then if she bears out her statement she becomes a candidate for a "friend". There is a sort of fraternity among the "friends" and those inmates who are not within the circle move on a different social plane and there is no voluntary community between them. Seeing this, it is not unusual that a new girl lines up with the "friends" and attains the popularity she craves. But entering the ranks is a voluntary matter and force is not brought to bear-if she chooses to remain out, she is let alone. If she chooses to stand with the girls, notes are circulated over the institution telling of the new girl and suggesting that someone make a "friend" of her.

A "friend", whether or not she is a new girl, is attained in a simple manner. Ordinarily, no long courtship is carried on, but there is simply a note written, telling that the "friendship" is wanted. The recipient, with the advice of others in her cottage, decides what she wants to do, and writes an answer if she accepts the "friendship". That is all there is to it, and the "friendship" is on. No attempt is made to limit one's self to one "friend"; in fact, it is part of the game to have more than one, if she can. Some girls have a "friend" in every cottage, including their own. Nor is the color line drawn. It is quite the thing for the white girls to have "colored friends" and only the "best" girls rate such favors. By "best" is meant those who lie best, stand up for other inmates best, and are most successful in breaking institutional regulations. Colored girls have not only "white friends" but colored as well. "Cottage friends" is the name of those who live in the same cottage.

The simplest type of "friend" association consists mainly in note passing and imaginary homosexual relationships. These notes are the slushy love note type of thing, filled with adolescent terms of endearment. They are passed from "friend" to "friend" by other inmates who happen by on errands. The relationship between the "friends" is usually husband and wife. That is, in the notes they pass one assumes the role of husband and the other of wife, and for the duration of that "friendship" that relationship holds, but the assumed role is not always the same for each person in other "friendships", either concurrent or subsequent.

Illustrative of style and content, the following notes are presented. They are uncorrected copies of actual notes passed between a colored girl and a white girl. The colored girl's note is presented first:

You can take my tie

You can take my coller

But I'll jazze [copulate with] you

'Till you holler.

My dearest Wife Gloria:-

"I am writing to you because I have not written to you for so long and sweet heart you will have to forgive me but I love you just the same; that handchief that you sent me is to pertty to use and I am going to take it out with me when I go. Honey If you love me you will brake out your dam door and come an sleep with me and angle face if I could sleep with you I would not only hough and kiss you. But I will not take the time to write it for I guess you can read between lines. When I kiss you I thought I was in heaven and I was kissing one of the angles, up there if I were in cuba and you in spain the love I get for you will make a bool [bull?] dog break his chain, and I don't care what you use to be but I know what you are to day if you love me or I love you what has the world to say. You ask me no questions so why should I. I don't care what you use to be but I know what you are to day. I love you and you only.

x 0 x 0 x 0 x 0 x 0 x 0 x 0 x 0 x 0

from your love husben

Ocean love to my wife Gloria Love.

The white girl then answered with this note:

Land of Friends

St. of Happiness

Date-Hot Lips.

My dearest and Only husben Oscean:-

As I have time I will answer your seet love note that I get last night. Honey babe I sure do love you and you only and they had better layoff and I don't mean my be eather. You looked so sweet yesterday at the laundry. Sugar dady if I could sleep with you for one little night, I would show you how much I hontly and truly I love you. You are the only girl I have ever loved and the only one I ever will love if you go out before I do I will not have any friends for I am true blue to you and you had better be to me. Honey if you love me as much as I love you you will wate for me to night at the doorr. After the other girls have gone and I hope you will, for honey I sure do love you and you only and I want you to unstand it to. You are the first "Hill" friend I have ever had and the only one I entand to have for I love you, if you love me you will go to the Hospital for somethig for I go every morning, did you see me this morning in school. I saw you. Honey you are the sweetest thing I every lad my eys on. Will sweet heart, I will close for this time with all the love in my heart and all the kiss on my lips for you and you only. C.

From your loving wife, Gloria Love to my Dearest husben Oscean Love.

One of the curiosities of these notes is the heading. Not all the notes carry such headings but many do. It is a perversion of the usual address, place, date, idea, as may be seen from the following samples taken from other notes:

You can take my collar,

You can take my tie,

But I love you until you die.

State Please be mine,

Date I love you,

Box Lonsome for you.

Lovers' land,

Box of kiss,

Date get you at last.

Please forgive me,

Broken hearted,

I want you back.

The notes are usually written in their rooms at night. The paper and pencils are stolen from the school rooms or library, or cut from the margins of books and magazines. Girls who are in the school steal the material by tucking it under their brassieres in such a way that it lays flat and escapes notice. Once in their cottage, they pass it out to other inmates. The notes are kept much as the proverbial lover treasures his letters. In this particular institution the window and door casings are not tight against the walls. These and similar spaces behind shelving become the depositories for both notes and supplies.

Not only are notes passed from "friend" to "friend" but also favors or presents. Ties, toiletries, handkerchiefs, and part"icu!arly brassieres, are the usual favors. The brassieres are made by the girls themselves and represent considerable work oftentimes. They are usually heavily embroidered, with love messages, nicknames, or initials. Such favors are often the means of detecting the pair, but even so, they pass about in a secret way.

With cottage "friends" the relationships are not so imaginary. Because they have access to actual physical contact, they resort to it rather than to notes and favors. Although cottage "friendships" do not imply a more perverted contact than loving, petting, kissing, etc., other practices as mutual masturbation and cunnilinctus do exist with this group. Here, too, we find the husband-wife relationships in existence. The role of husband is the more aggressive one. Generally speaking, such contacts are not made between noncottage "friends", but at times, when they are playing or working together, and the attendant is lax, it will happen. Among the girls the actual perversions are called by the initials of their slang names.

In all the relationships the sexual side is stressed. The girls think of themselves in the role of husband or wife or some other familial relationship. By this is meant that a particular pair will accept others into their fold as "children". These "children" enter into the "friend" fringe by writing notes to the other "children" and the "parents". Thus the "friendships" become very much involved and lead to the jealousies that can be expected.

Earlier it was pointed out that more than one "friend" was the usual goal. But though this is the goal, it is not carried on openly. When the "friend" finds she has a rival, it often leads to rather violent fights between the girls. These jealousies are even more real than the husband-wife jealousies of the everyday world and result in fist fights, hair pullings, trumped-up stories that put the rival in punishment, and every other conceivable type of trouble making activity. At times the rival does not present her best defense because punishment over a "friend" is another way of gaining favor with the girls. In general, greater oppression results in keener desires.

Oddly enough, "friends" are not always defended. For example, A and Bare "friends". A is about to be placed out and receives a farewell note from B. Instead of treasuring this last note, she may put it in the matrons' hands as a magnificent gesture of her trustworthiness. On the other hand, A may send B a farewell note, in which case B may turn it in to the matron so that A will not be sent out. Sometimes the latter plan breaks the "friendship", but not always, and the chance is taken.

From the point of view of duration, it is interesting to note that non cottage "friendships" persist longer than cottage "friendships" and that the relationships not involving physical contact are more durable than those that do. Room partners are rarely, if ever, chosen as "friends", and if by chance cottage "friends" are unknowingly assigned to the same room the relationship ends almost at once. It seems rather clear from this that the element of danger must be operative for a continued "friendship", and it is equally clear that the "friendships" are not the type that will bear close association over a period of time.

Other means of communication than notes and favors are operative at times. These are such things as scratching the' "friend's" initials or a silly love message on themselves so they will leave a scar, or allowing themselves to be bitten by the "friend". At times these methods have been a matter of serious concern to the authorities, but they come and go and applications of strong iodine solutions prevent many recurrences. Then, too, there is an intricate set of signs for conveying messages. The way the hair is worn, the color of tie or hair ribbon, a certain wave of the hand, or some peculiarity of gait, each has a particular meaning to the "friend".

Remembering that these things happen in an institution whose inmates are there primarily for sexual indiscretions, it does not seem unnatural that they should happen. Sex has consistently played a part in their lives; the fact that it was antisocial probably lent some zest to the situations. To some degree, they found these experiences pleasurable, and among other§ of the same kind they even find them glorified. Finding no heterosexual outlet for their sexual desires, it is most natural that they sbould turn their attention to the possible homosexual experiences. It is a sort of sublimation for a learned behavior pattern that has been thwarted. Supported by imaginative reproductions of previous pleasures, these "friendships", even of the nonphysical type, serve as a sublimation.

That these girls are not truly inverted is evidenced by the lack of fidelity, the ease with which the friendship is broken by close contact, and the fact that they do not persist in homosexuality after their release from the institution. Now and then actual neuropathic inverts may be found in the institution, but they are likely to be in even smaller percentage than in the rest of the world. This because homosexuals are not molested by the police so often for obvious reasons.

Throughout this discussion two main trends are seen to pervade the practice: first, sexual sublimation, and second, breaking rules. If this is as true as apparent, it would seem that the practice could be better controlled by affording socially acceptable sublimations and less attention to the efforts of repression. Treat it much as masturbation should be treated: neither forbidding nor encouraging it, but supplying the person with tiring, interesting activities and a maximum of social contacts. This would probably lead to an increase in its incidence temporarily, but eventually it could be expected to dwindle. The principles underlying the suggestion are the same as for any other reform, sublimation by positive measures rather than repression by negative ones.

Notes

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