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- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.071
-
-
-
-
- Modula-3 Frequently Asked Questions
- ===================================
-
-
- What is Modula-3 ?
-
- The goal of Modula-3 is to be as simple and safe as it can be while
- meeting the needs of modern systems programmers. Instead of
- exploring new features, we studied the features of the Modula
- family of languages that have proven themselves in practice and
- tried to simplify them into a harmonious language. We found that
- most of the successful features were aimed at one of two main
- goals: greater robustness, and a simpler, more systematic type
- system.
-
- Modula-3 descends from Mesa, Modula-2, Cedar, and Modula-2+. It
- also resembles its cousins Object Pascal, Oberon, and Euclid.
-
- Modula-3 retains one of Modula-2's most successful features, the
- provision for explicit interfaces between modules. It adds objects
- and classes, exception handling, garbage collection, lightweight
- processes (or threads), and the isolation of unsafe features.
-
-
- Is Modula-3 a superset of Modula-2 ?
-
- No; valid Modula-2 programs are not valid Modula-3 programs.
-
-
- Where can I get a description of Modula-3 ?
-
- The definition of Modula-3 is contained in:
-
- System Programming with Modula-3
- Edited by Greg Nelson
- Prentice Hall Series in Innovative Technology
- ISBN 0-13-590464-1
- L.C. QA76.66.S87 1991
-
- also known as SPwM3. Here is the table of contents:
-
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Language Definition
- 3. Standard Interfaces
- 4. An Introduction to Programming with Threads
- 5. Thread Synchronization: A Formal Specification
- 6. I/O Streams: Abstract Types, Real Programs
- 7. Trestle Window System Tutorial
- 8. How the Language Got its Spots
-
- Chapters 2 and 3 have been reprinted in Sigplan Notices, Volume 27,
- Number 8, August 1992, pp 15-42.
-
- Sam Harbison has written a book about Modula3:
-
- Modula-3
- Samuel P. Harbison
- Prentice Hall, 1992
- ISBN 0-13-596396-6
-
- as well as an overview article, "Modula-3", in Byte, Vol. 15,
- Number 12, October 1990, p 385.
-
-
- Where can I get information on Modula-3 ?
-
- There is a Usenet newsgroup, comp.lang.modula3. The archives of
- that group are available via anonymous ftp from gatekeeper.dec.com
- in pub/DEC/Modula-3/comp.lang.modula3. If you do not have
- access to Usenet, there is a relay mailing list; send a message to
- m3-request@src.dec.com to be added to it.
-
-
- Where can I get an implementation ?
-
- There is only one implementation available today. It has been built
- by SRC and is available via anonymous ftp from gatekeeper.dec.com in
- pub/DEC/Modula-3/release. Contributed software can be found
- in pub/DEC/Modula-3/contrib.
-
- The current version, 2.07, implements the language defined in SPwM3.
- There are versions for the following machines:
-
- AIX386 IBM PC running AIX/PS2,
- AP3000 Apollo DN4500 running Domain/OS
- ARM Acorn R260 running RISC iX 1.21
- DS3100 DECstation 3100 and 5000 running Ultrix 4.0 and 4.2
- HP300 HP 9000/300 running HP-UX 8.0
- IBMR2 IBM R6000 running AIX 3.1,
- IBMRT IBM RT running IBM/4.3,
- NEXT NeXT running ?
- SPARC SPARCstation running SunOS 4.1.x
- SUN3 SUN3 running SunOS
- UMAX Encore Multimax running UMAX 4.3 (R4.1.1)
- VAX VAX running Ultrix 3.1
-
- SRC Modula-3 includes a user manual, compiler, runtime library,
- some libraries and a few other goodies (see below).
-
- The compiler generates C as an intermediate language and should be
- fairly easy to port. Except for the very lowest levels of the
- thread implementation, the entire system is written in Modula-3.
-
-
- What if I don't have ftp access ?
-
- Unfortunately, we cannot deliver Modula-3 other than by
- anonymous ftp. Your best bet is to post a message to
- comp.lang.modula3, in the hope that somebody with ftp
- access can make a tape or floppy for you.
-
-
- Can I contribute Modula-3 software ?
-
- Certainly. Send us what you are willing to share, be it programs,
- libraries or other things. We'll put them in the distribution.
-
- --
- Eric.
- Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu soc.motss:119924 news.answers:4337
- Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!linus!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!gatech!darwin.sura.net!sgiblab!sgigate!odin!mips!jct
- From: jct@mti.sgi.com (Chris Thomas)
- Newsgroups: soc.motss,news.answers
- Subject: soc.motss FAQ
- Followup-To: soc.motss
- Date: 1 Dec 1992 18:46:39 GMT
- Organization: Mips Technologies, Inc.
- Lines: 1065
- Approved: news-answers-request@athena.MIT.Edu
- Expires: 1 Jan 1993
- Message-ID: <lhncofINN3ph@spim.mti.sgi.com>
- Reply-To: jct@mti.sgi.com
- NNTP-Posting-Host: twink.mti.sgi.com
- Keywords: newsgroups mailing-lists crossposting bulletin-boards
-
- Archive-name: motss-faq
- Last-modified: 1 Dec 1992
-
- This list is largely a collection of hearsay: I'm depending on
- information from others. Please don't make decisions based on anything
- here without first checking out the facts for yourself.
-
- (A "+" indicates a new question, and a "*" indicates a change from
- the last edition of this FAQ. When you see a question number in this
- list, you can probably use your newsreader to search the rest of this
- article for that question number.)
-
- soc.motss, Other Newsgroups, and Mailing Lists
- 101. Who reads soc.motss?
- 102. When was soc.motss created?
- 103. Why isn't the group name something more obvious, like soc.gay?
- 104. What subjects are legitimate in soc.motss?
- 105. Can you give any more specific guidelines about posting?
- 106. What will happen to me if I post in soc.motss?
- 107. Can I post anonymously to soc.motss?
- 108. My site has only read access to soc.motss.
- 109. What will happen to me if I read soc.motss?
- 110. What are those numbers and letters in some signatures?
- 111. What are those "twinks", "smurfs", etc.?
- 112. What is motss.con?
- 121. I saw something in another newsgroup that everyone in soc.motss
- should read.
- 122. What about crossposting from soc.motss to other groups?
- 123. How do I add {person's name} to my kill file?
- 124. How do I make my newsreader do <desired function>?
- 125. How do I find someone's email address?
- 131. (*) Are there other motss-related newsgroups I'd be interested in?
- 132. (*) Are there mailing lists I can subscribe to?
- 133. Are there LGBO*-oriented bulletin board systems that I could
- subscribe to directly?
-
- Science and Medicine
- 201. What is the Kinsey scale?
- 202. What is the origin of the "10% gay" figure?
- 203. What else did Kinsey find?
- 211. Is HIV the same as AIDS?
- 212. (*) What is the "AIDS test"?
- 213. Since my partner and I are both HIV negative, we don't have to
- bother with safer sex, do we?
- 214. Where can I get more information?
- 221. What's all this about brain differences in gay men?
- 222. Wasn't that an awfully small sample?
- 223. Weren't there some exceptions?
- 224. What exactly does this study prove?
-
- Grab bag
- 301. What's the origin of the pink triangle?
- 302. Does the pink triangle point up or down?
- 303. When is National Coming Out Day (NCOD)?
- 304. When is the Pride March in <U.S. city name>?
- 305. Who was Harvey Milk?
- 306. Was he the first openly gay or lesbian elected official in the U.S.?
- 321. Does "gay" imply "male"?
- 322. What's the right term to include everyone?
- 323. Is "gay" a noun or an adjective?
- 324. When the grammar books tell me to say "he", "him", or "his" in
- referring to a person of unspecified gender, what should I do?
- 325. Is it "sexual orientation" or "sexual preference"?
- 331. How do I get motss pictures via FTP?
- 332. Can I get pictures by email?
- 333. Where do I find GIF viewers?
- 341. Where can I buy stuff by mail order?
- 342. I'm/we're going to Europe and want to know which hotels and
- restaurants are gay-friendly.
- 343. Who is Orson Scott Card?
- 344. I saw an 800 number that is maintained by <homophobic group>.
- Should I post it so everyone can call and tie up the line?
- 345. What is GLAAD?
- 346. What is NAMBLA?
- 347. (*) What gay/lesbian organizations exist for persons in the
- high-technology industries?
- 348. What is "After the Ball"?
-
- Civil Rights and The Law
- 401. (*) Which governments have laws against discrimination on the basis
- of sexual orientation?
- 402. What about discrimination by private employers?
- 403. Where is same-gender sex legal?
- 404. Didn't the U.S. Supreme Court say sodomy was a crime even in private?
- 405. (+) What is Amendment 2?
-
- About this newsgroup
- ====================
-
- 101. Who reads soc.motss?
- June 1992 usage figures show about 70,000 readers worldwide.
- soc.motss appears regularly on the list of "Top 25 News Groups" in
- terms of submitted volume; for two weeks in the middle of May 1992,
- there were 2033 articles totaling 2.7 megabytes. (Hint: learn to
- use a kill file.)
-
- 102. When was soc.motss created?
- In October 1983, as 'net.motss'. Excerpt from Steve Dyer's
- announcement of 7 Oct 83: "Net.motss is a forum for the discussion of
- gay-related issues of interest to all members of Usenet. Its name is an
- acronym for "members of the same sex", coined by contributors to
- net.singles as an analogue to MOTOS--"member of the opposite sex." It is
- therefore, unfortunately, a euphemism of sorts--an alternative to the
- preferred 'net.gay'. Nevertheless, the proponents of the group have
- gladly passed on this minor issue so that the group should be swiftly
- formed."
-
- 103. Why isn't the group name something more obvious, like soc.gay?
- At least two answers: a. Historically, staying away from the name
- "gay" was an attempt not to wave a red flag in front of homophobic
- system administrators (see answer to preceding Q). b. Currently, there
- is considerable disagreement over whether the word "gay" includes
- lesbians and bisexuals; "motss" (members of the same sex) references the
- issues that bind us all together -- namely, romance and sex with members
- of the same gender.
-
- 104. What subjects are legitimate in soc.motss?
- Anything motss-related that's on your mind is fair game, with one
- major exception: condemnations or "justifications" of homosexuality do
- not belong in soc.motss. They can go in alt.politics.homosexuality or
- talk.politics.misc.
- According to the original announcement, soc.motss "is designed to
- foster discussion on a wide variety of topics, such as health problems,
- parenting, relationships, clearances, job security and many others. Gay
- members of Usenet will find this a supportive environment for the
- discussion of issues which have immediate impact on their everyday
- lives. Those who aren't gay have an opportunity to be informed by the
- discussion, and are encouraged to read the news items and contribute
- their own questions and opinions.
- "[soc.motss] is emphatically NOT a newsgroup for the discussion of
- whether homosexuality is good or bad, natural or unnatural. Nor is it a
- place where conduct unsuitable for the net will be allowed or condoned.
- Rather, like every Usenet news group, it is an opportunity for people
- all across the world to express their opinions, exchange ideas, and come
- to appreciate the diversity within the Usenet membership."
-
- 105. Can you give any more specific guidelines about posting?
- Follow normal netiquette. Some special "hot buttons" for many of us
- are any kind of sexist language; statements like "I'm straight, but..."
- or "I think what you do is gross"; referring to people with AIDS as
- "victims".
- The traffic is huge and many of us are supposed to be working, so
- please think about using email rather than posting; or if you post a
- follow-up, please edit ruthlessly to pare the quoted bits down to the
- bare minimum -- but don't scramble the attributions.
- If you see something particularly outrageous and homophobic, the
- advice many of us will give is "sit on your hands": i.e., ignore it.
- The 'phobes typically leave soon UNLESS they have an audience. If
- you absolutely feel you must respond, and email isn't good enough,
- please at least edit "soc.motss" out of the Newsgroups: line so the
- rest of us don't have to see any repetition of it.
-
- 106. What will happen to me if I post in soc.motss?
- The answer is, in general, nothing. (Lots of people of all orienta-
- tions read and write to soc.motss, so strictly speaking you're not
- coming out by posting. Even so, some people will draw conclusions about
- your sexual orientation from the fact that you post here. You can post
- anonymously by sending email to any of the addresses listed in the
- biweekly soc.motss lexicon.
- However-- Assume that any posting in net news is in the public
- domain and could end **anywhere**: the general media, a police file, a
- Fundie's hate list, an entrepeneur's sales contact list, etc. If you
- can't stand by your posting, then don't post.
-
- 107. Can I post anonymously to soc.motss?
- Don't underestimate the sense of liberty and self-esteem that may
- come from posting an article under your own name. Nevertheless, many
- of us are sensitive to the difficulties this may pose for some people,
- especially those of us whose first articles were posted by someone
- else protecting our identity. The following people have offered to
- re-post submissions after removing any identifying headers, and forward
- email responses back to you.
-
- Leonid V. Belyaev leo@cs.ucla.edu
- Bradley Clymer clymer@ee.eng.ohio-state.edu
- Laura Creighton toad@toad.com
- Steve Dyer dyer@spdcc.com
- Andrew Gollan adjg@softway.oz.au
- Roger Klorese rogerk@unpc.queernet.org
- Ciaran McHale cjmchale@cs.tcd.ie
- Neil Perret-Green neil@ccl.umist.ac.uk
- Daniel Sternbergh ddaniel@lindy.stanford.edu
- Chris Thomas jct@mti.sgi.com
- Cindy Tittle Moore tittle@ics.uci.edu
-
- Please provide a valid name and email address so that this person can
- get follow-up mail back to you. These names and addresses will be
- kept confidential.
-
- 108. My site has only read access to soc.motss.
- You can try sending email to soc-motss@ucbvax.berkeley.edu. (Please
- don't waste the resources if you can post directly.) I have verified
- that the result is a (non-anonymous) post; however, some persons have
- reported that mail to that address bounces. [As of July 1992, this
- service seems to be broken.]
- Or you may want to subscribe to a public access site. The semi-
- official list of public access UNIX sites (nixpub) is available from
- lgnp1 (+1 215 348 9727) (login:guest) and is posted periodically in
- the comp.misc newsgroup.
-
- 109. What will happen to me if I read soc.motss?
- In general, nothing. (You may be informed or infuriated, of course;
- but that's a standard Usenet hazard.) If you're extremely concerned, you
- should be aware that most system software leaves your 'newsrc' file
- unprotected by default. There are system-dependent commands to protect
- it, but none are airtight. As in other areas of life, you have to
- decide whether this is an acceptable risk for you.
-
- 110. What are those numbers and letters in some signatures?
- A string of letters and numbers beginning with a B and a number
- are the "bear codes", which refer to the poster's build, furriness,
- etc. An article explaining the bear codes is available via FTP from
- spdcc.com; the filename is "pub/NBCS.V1.9". (Refer to question 331
- for some information on FTP.) Other cryptic letter/number
- combinations appearing in signatures usually indicate one of the many
- "codes" developed in response to the original bear code. There's a
- bears mailing list; see "mail.bears" below.
-
- 111. What are these "twinks", "smurfs", etc?
- Here's a quick lexicon of some of the "unusual" terms you'll see
- on soc.motss. Some of these are specific to the motss world, and others
- aren't.
-
- muffin: A member of the soc.motss community who reads but has never
- posted an article, or at least not under their own name. Usually
- used to refer to gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons.
-
- biscuit: Non-gay persons on soc.motss, sometimes used for non-posters
- (analogous to muffin), but not always.
-
- bears: Persons, usually men, whose physical characteristics tend
- toward the husky and hirsute.
-
- twink, twinkie: Generally, a cute young (male) thing (CYT). Known as
- "golden, cream-filled, and ready to be eaten." (Etymology: In the US,
- Twinkies(tm) are snack cakes with these same properties.)
-
- smurf: Usually indicates an irreverent, silly, *cute* poster. Some
- soc.motss participants have formed a loose organization called the
- "Smurf Gang". Never take a Smurf Gang posting at face value. (Etymology:
- the cartoon characters.)
-
- LGBO*: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual people, Others, and Anyone Still
- Left Out.
-
- 112. What is motss.con?
- [From Bob Donahue:] In San Francisco during 1988, an informal
- gathering for a few days took place to take advantage of the
- opportunity for people to meet each other face-to-face ("you don't
- look anything like your posts"). Everyone had so much fun, it was
- repeated in 1989 in Boston, 1990 in Denver, 1991 in Toronto, and was
- this year in Portland, Oregon, from July 23-27.
- Generally, the decision of when and where the con is held is made
- up by competing groups of people in different locals vying for the
- honor based on proposals submitted near the beginning of the year.
- The group as a whole votes on the set of proposals, picking one.
- Traditionally, there is one "official" motss.con per year, usually in
- the early summer. Several "mini-cons" are held every year worldwide,
- and regional dinners, events, get-togethers, etc. are very common.
-
-
- Crossposting and net usage
- ==========================
-
- 121. I saw something in another newsgroup that everyone in soc.motss
- should read.
- No, you probably didn't. It is generally bad manners to crosspost
- or duplicate post something from another newsgroup to soc.motss just
- because you think soc.motssers should read it. It is _especially_ bad
- manners to crosspost condemnations of homosexuality (see "What subjects
- are legitimate", above); and the best thing to do with such posts is to
- ignore them or, if you feel you must, to reply by email. It _is_
- acceptable to post a brief note on soc.motss only, saying "In newsgroup
- a.b.c there's a thread called blah-blah. Check it out if you're
- interested."
-
- 122. What about crossposting from soc.motss to other groups?
- Again, there can't be a hard rule, but it's generally not a good
- idea. Say there was a TV show with some motss interest, and you feel
- moved to post about it. At first thought it might seem reasonable to
- crosspost to soc.motss,rec.arts.tv. But the two groups are separate
- because they serve generally separate interests. The thread could
- develop in different directions, and it's not really a service to either
- group to force its members to read stuff they're not interested in, or
- edit their kill files yet again.
-
- 123. How do I add {person's name} to my kill file?
- This varies according to which newsreader you use. Many of us are
- on rn or trn, where the answer is "type Ctrl-K while in soc.motss,
- then edit in the line /evilpersonsname/h:j substituting the actual
- name between the slashes." For other newsreaders, and for lots of
- Usenet help in general, subscribe to the group news.newusers.questions.
-
- 124. How do I make my newsreader do <desired function>?
- Check the user's manual, if there is one. Ask somebody at your site
- who knows. If all else fails, you can post a question in the group
- news.newusers.questions. Be sure to mention the operating system and
- newsreader program you use, with version numbers if possible.
- Remember that it is good manners to read a group for a while before
- you post. Your question may be frequently asked, and you'll have the
- answer without posting.
-
- 125. How do I find someone's email address?
- This is answered in weekly FAQ postings in news.newusers.questions.
-
-
- Other resources
- ===============
-
- 131. Are there other motss-related newsgroups I'd be interested in?
- - ba.motss is a San Francisco Bay Area regional newsgroup.
- - ne.motss is a New England (northeastern US) regional newsgroup.
- (*) - pnw.motss is a newsgroup for the Pacific Northwest region of
- the US.
- - sci.med.aids for AIDS issues
- - soc.bi: for discussions of bisexuality
- - alt.politics.homosexuality and talk.politics.misc tend (IMHO) to a
- higher level of flamage about LGBO* issues.
- - clari.news.group.gays: This is part of Clarinet, a commercial
- subscription service carried by some Usenet sites. Carries UPI
- newswire stories relating to lesbian/gay issues.
- - alt.sex.bondage and rec.arts.bodyart carry topics of interest
- to some specific motss sub-communities.
- Of course, We Are Everywhere (TM), so you will also see LGBO* viewpoints
- in many newsgroups.
- If you're new to Usenet, or even if you're not, you may find lots of
- interesting stuff in news.newusers.questions and news.announce.newusers.
- The group news.answers is collecting FAQ lists from all newsgroups.
-
- 132. Are there mailing lists I can subscribe to?
- Following is the list of those I've seen posted on soc.motss. Please
- send corrections or additions to me by email. To subscribe, send a
- message via email to the address prefixed by (s). The (p) is the email
- address for sending posts (if known). It is good manners to subscribe
- to a list and read it for a while before attempting to post. Most of
- these descriptions have been supplied by the list maintainers.
- - Act-up: Silence=Death/Action=Life. AIDS activism.
- (s)act-up-request@world.std.com (p)act-up@world.std.com
- - bifem-l is a women-only list for bisexuals and friends. (s) send
- mail to listserv@brownvm.brown.edu with the body "sub bifem-l
- your name".
- - bisexu-l. (s) send mail to listserv@brownvm.brown.edu with the
- body "sub bisexu-l your name". (p)bisexu-l@brownvm.brown.edu.
- - cdforum is a list for transvestites, transsexuals, transgenderists
- and supportive others. (s)cdforum-request@wizvax.methuen.ma.us
- via Internet, or (s)uunet!samsung!wizvax!cdforum-request via UUCP.
- - DSA-LGB: Mailing list for the members of the Lesbian/gay/bisexual
- Commission of the Democratic Socialists of America, and others
- with shared interests. (s)DSA-LGB-request@midway.uchicago.edu
- (p)DSA-LGB@midway.uchicago.edu
- - eagles: "a forum for Eagle Scouts who are queer to discuss how to
- pressure the BSA to change their homophobic policies; interested
- others also welcome." (s)eagles-request@pompei.usc.edu;
- (p)eagles@pompei.usc.edu
- (*) - gaynet: lesbigay concerns on campus; distributed in digest form.
- (s)gaynet-request@athena.mit.edu (p)gaynet@athena.mit.edu. [Note:
- Reported missing in action as of 12/92. Updated information welcome!]
- - lisaben, for discussing lesbian issues (women and men):
- (s)lisaben-request@athena.mit.edu [Reported defunct Sep 92]
- - mail.bears is a moderated mailing list in digest format for gay
- and bisexual men who are bears themselves and for those who enjoy
- the company of bears. (s)bears-request@spdcc.COM, or
- (s){harvard,ima,bbn}!spdcc!bears-request
- - ne-social, a purely social mailing list for the northeast corridor
- of the US: (s)ne-social-motss-request@castle.org or
- (s)castle-request!ne-social-motss (p)ne-social-motss@castle.org or
- (p)castle!ne-social-motss
- - oh-motss. (s)oh-motss-request@cps.udayton.edu;
- (p)oh-motss@cps.udayton.edu
- - Queer Nation. (s)qn-request@athena.mit.edu (p)qn@athena.mit.edu
- - sappho, for discussing lesbian issues (women only):
- (s)sappho-request@mc.lcs.mit.edu
- - Sexual-politics: Discussions relating to sexual politics.
- (s)sexual-politics-request@reagan.ai.mit.edu
- (p)sexual-politics@reagan.ai.mit.edu
- - transgen: transsexual, transgender, transvestite discussion and
- support.(s)listserv@brownvm.brown.edu (p)transgen@brownvm.brown.edu
- The message body should be of the form "sub transgen your-name" to
- subscribe.
- - uk-motss: (s)Internet: uk-motss-request@pyra.co.uk
- (s)JANet: uk-motss-request@uk.co.pyra
- uk-motss-request%uk.co.pyra@uknet
- (s)UUCP domain: uk-motss-request@pyrltd.UUCP
- (s)UUCP route: ...!uknet!pyrltd!uk-motss-request
- The information file for the list can be obtained by contacting
- uk-motss-request.
- - OUTIL (Out in Linguistics): "For queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual,
- etc. linguists and their friends; the list serves primarily to
- allow out linguists to get in touch with one another and to
- provide a way of scheduling gatherings at conferences, although
- mail on any relevant topic is welcome. Requests to
- outil-request@csli.stanford.edu.
- - National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and
- Technical Professionals (noglstp): Subscription requests to
- noglstp-request@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov.
-
- Additionally, "Braddlee@ucs.indiana.edu keeps a pretty complete list
- of queer-related mailing lists, and mails it to anyone who asks him."
-
- 133. Are there LGBO*-oriented bulletin board systems that I could
- subscribe to directly?
- "skidillions" of them, according to a post to soc.motss. Policies
- vary regarding access and fees. Some are networked via Fidonet or
- Gaycom or other store-and-forward networks, and some are accessible via
- Starlink or PC-Pursuit. A good list of functioning BBS's (not necessarily
- gay) in the US is available from the P.D.S.L.O. BBS (+1 516 938 6722).
- {Boardwatch Magazine}'s BBS (+1 303 973 4222) carries information on
- BBSes across the country. Some other places to start (data numbers):
- - 28 Barbary Lane, Seattle WA: +1 206 525 2828
- - The BackRoom (GayCom), Richmond Hill NY: +1 718 849 1616
- - Bill 'n' Bob's, Cleveland OH: +1 216 741 5888
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-
- The Kinsey scale
- ================
-
- 201. What is the Kinsey scale?
- In the 1948 book {Sexual Behavior in the Human Male}, the Kinsey
- researchers made the (then) startling assertion that homosexual behavior
- was not restricted to identified homosexuals. (The book was based on
- an in-depth survey of thousands of men.) The authors said that it made
- more sense to look at a person's behavior and psychological response as
- being at some point on a spectrum or scale:
- 0 = entirely heterosexual
- 1 = largely heterosexual, but with incidental homosexual history
- 2 = largely heterosexual, but with a distinct homosexual history
- 3 = equally heterosexual and homosexual
- 4 = largely homosexual, but with a distinct heterosexual history
- 5 = largely homosexual, but with incidental heterosexual history
- 6 = entirely homosexual
- (Someone posted excerpts from "Incidence, Frequency, and the Kinsey
- 0-6 Scale" by C A Tripp, from {The Encyclopedia of Homosexuality}. This
- answer and the next two are adapted from that posting.)
-
- 202. What is the origin of the "10% gay" figure?
- In the same book (see previous answer), Kinsey published survey
- results that over the past three years 4% of the men were Kinsey 6's
- (exclusively homosexual experiences) and 6% were Kinsey 5's (homosexual
- with only incidental hetereosexual experience); 4% + 6% = 10%. The
- parallel statistic for women in the same studies is 3 to 8% (scale 4 to
- 6). The works don't really match exactly in what they were measuring.
- Like any sociological study, Kinsey's has been challenged on a number of
- grounds. More recent studies have generated statistics far above or
- below these numbers (especially for women), but nothing more
- authoritative has been published.
-
- 203. What else did Kinsey find?
- Well there are two whole books, but here are a few numerical
- excerpts. "[A]t least 37% of the male population has some homosexual
- experience between the beginning of adolescence and old age.... This is
- more than one male in three of the persons that one may meet as he
- passes along a city street." In addition, 13% of males react erotically
- to other males without having overt homosexual contacts after the onset
- of adolescence. (This 13 percent, coupled with the 37 percent who do
- have overt homosexual experience, means that a full 50 percent of males
- have at least some sexual response to other males after adolescence --
- and conversely, that only the other 50 percent of the male population is
- entirely heterosexual throughout life.)
- 4% of males are exclusively homosexual throughout their lives after
- the onset of adolescence.
- 8% of males are exclusively homosexual (scale 6) for at least three
- years between the ages of 16 and 55.
- 13% of males have more homo than hetero experience (scale 4-6) for at
- least three years between the ages of 16 and 55.
- 18% percent of males have at least as much homo as hetero in their
- histories (scale 3-6) for at least three years between ages 16 and 55.
- 25% percent of the male population has more than incidental
- homosexual experience or reactions (scale 2-6) for at least three years
- between the ages of 16 and 55.
- On the other hand, these Kinsey findings are beside the point in a
-