Items

• Parents of the homosexual
  This book was published as part of the ‘Christian Care Books’ series, a set of practical guides which dealt with contemporary social experiences from a Christian pastoral care perspective. The series was edited by Warren E. Oates, a pastor and psychotherapist. This volume is aimed at Christian parents of gay or lesbian children, particularly those who are struggling with their children’s sexuality. Authored by Shirley Switzer, a mental health psychologist, and pastor David Switzer (1925-2015), this book draws on real conversations with the intention of lovingly reconciling families. The book also includes a chapter which critically engages with the Bible and challenges its use as an excuse for homophobia.
• The homosexual matrix
  First published in America by McGraw-Hill in 1975, the preface to this British edition includes author C.A. Tripp’s (1919-2003) reflections on the book’s initial reception. More positively received than the author had hoped among the scientific community and in much of the media, including ‘Newsweek’, it nevertheless provoked anti-gay moralising in ‘Time’ magazine and ‘The New York Times’, while some papers cancelled their reviews altogether. Tripp, a psychotherapist, fails to mention that the book was also criticised by LGBTQ+ reviewers for its pseudo-scientific categorisation of gay men into ‘types’, its misogyny, and its refusal to engage with gay liberation as a social movement. The striking typographic cover design is by Marcy J. Katz. The edition on display is from the library of actor, author and bookseller Noel Lloyd.