Gore Vidal's Moral Program: Homophile Spirituality in The City and the Pillar

This essay traces the topic of spirituality in Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar and in selected issues of ONE magazine. Differences between City's 1948 and 1965 versions reveal the latter to minimize not only homosexuality, but also spiritual reflection. Similarly, ONE writers debated "Homosexuals Anonymous," a group imagined to promote spiritual health among homophiles. These conversations culminate in sexuality studies, which balances homosexuality as a political cause and as a moral good.