“The greatest fear of the American male is that he will be homosexual. Beginning with the stern warnings he recieves as a young boy about overly friendly men in public parks, through the adolescent shaming prompted by the slightest hint of effeminacy, to the suspicion provoked by an interest in artistic pursuits, he is conditioned to believe that homosexuality is incompatible with manhood. From his family to his friends, in his church and at his workplace, from the realm of the everyday experience to the popular culture surrounding him, the message is unambigious that there is absolutely nothing worse in the world than to be a sissy, a faggot, a queer.” MenShameGuiltHomosexualTransgender Book:Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington Source: Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington