Donald Webster Cory

Edward Sagarin (September 18, 1913 – June 10, 1986), also known by his pen name Donald Webster Cory, was an American professor of sociology and criminology at the City University of New York, and a writer. His book ''The Homosexual in America: A Subjective Approach'', published in 1951, was considered "one of the most influential works in the history of the gay rights movement," and inspired compassion in others by highlighting the difficulties faced by homosexuals.Summers, Claude J
Encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer culture

He was titled "father of the homophile movement" for asserting that gay men and lesbians deserved civil rights as members of a large, unrecognised minority. However, Vern L. Bullough believes the title is undeserved as Sagarin did not actively participate in resistance and did not join any homophile organisations until 1962, a time when he was seeking a topic to analyse in his thesis.Bullough, Vern L. (2002) New York: Harrington Park Press.
''Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context''

Biography

Early life

Sagarin was born in Schenectady, New York to Russian Jewish parents. Sagarin was born with scoliosis, which produced a hump on his back. He attended high school, and after graduating, spent a year in France where he met André Gide. Upon his return to New York, he enrolled at City College of New York, but was forced to drop out of college due to the Great Depression.

In 1934, Sagarin met Gertrude Liphshitz, a woman who shared his left-wing political interests. They married in 1936 and soon after, Gertrude gave birth to a boy. Sagarin established himself in the perfume and cosmetics industry, becoming knowledgeable about the chemistry of perfumes, and publishing ''The Science and Art of Perfumery'' in 1945.

Donald Webster Cory

Sagarin began a dual life, publishing ''The Homosexual in America: A Subjective Approach'' in 1951, which was deemed an "act of heroism", under the pseudonym of Donald Webster Cory. The use of the pen name, and the attitudes that differed when Sagarin used either of his identities, led to the comparison of Sagarin/Cory to the Dr. Jekyll/Mr Hyde character. Mr. Cory, who presented homosexuals as a despised minority, was seen as a "mythic hero", where Dr. Sagarin (as he would later be known) was a "hunchback deviant".Sears, James T. (2006) New York: Harrington Park Press.
''Behind the Mask of the Mattachine''

The publication of the book was considered a "radical step", as it was the first publication in the United States that discussed homosexual politics and sympathetically presented the plight of homosexuals.Mark Blasius & Shane Phelan (1997) New York: Routledge.