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One of the most challenging philosophical and existential questions of the twentieth century is the one raised by Freud: Is anatomy destiny? Dr. Richard Isay has taken the question back to another level of abstraction to inquire whether for sexual object choice, constitution is destiny.
It is now almost five years since the publication of this monograph of Dr. Isay's writings on homosexuality. In it Dr. Isay attempts to outline a normal sequence of psychological development for the gay man. Toward this effort he has created a natural science journal of sorts which is a direct and courageous affirmation of the possibility of a healthy homosexual orientation. It comes at a time of great risk for gays, a time which demands greater compassion and understanding of homosexuality. Yet it remains to be seen to what extent this controversial work breaks new theoretical ground in our understanding of male homosexuality and to what extent it is more political in nature. Finally, this work is guided by an infrequently acknowledged autobiographical narrative which proceeds hand-in-glove with the author's psychoanalytically informed arguments: it is an existential document offering the overlapping perspectives of gay man and gay therapist.