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Williams was a homosexual who had various relationships with adults but was a secret pederast. He traveled widely in Europe and Mexico, undoubtedly used prostitutes, and from time to time would proposition teenage boys . In his Memoirs published in 1975, he offered advice on sex with “hustlers”, recommending that 'penetration be avoided' as 'they are most probably all infected with clap in the ass'. This puts him in the forefront of modern sex-educators. He also once said that he found public displays of “gay lib ... so vulgar they defeat their purpose”.

Williams was a homosexual who had various relationships with adults but was a secret pederast. He traveled widely in Europe and Mexico, undoubtedly used prostitutes, and from time to time would proposition teenage boys . In his Memoirs published in 1975, he offered advice on sex with “hustlers”, recommending that 'penetration be avoided' as 'they are most probably all infected with clap in the ass'. This puts him in the forefront of modern sex-educators. He also once said that he found public displays of “gay lib ... so vulgar they defeat their purpose”.

Williams’ friend the writer Edward Albee revealed that Williams was a pederast. A critic writes, “Williams's scandalous desire for boys was naturally kept outside of the official written texts (newspapers, interviews, and biographies) of Williams's era. Though it was kept out of the official record, it was apparently no secret that Tennessee Williams enjoyed the company of underage male companions. Robert Wallace remarks that "Tennessee Williams's attraction to adolescent boys,[was] a 'compulsion' reputed to have contributed to his despair and demise" (Wallace 22). Additionally, the playwright Edward Albee (a gay man himself) who visited with Williams towards the end of his life, comments on the issue: "He came out to Montauk several times and took a room, a couple of rooms in a place up beyond the town. And he usually brought some pretty boy -- usually some nice young kid -- unfortunately, he would beat up on him. Tennessee was something of a sadist, but he would swim in my pool, for hours at a time. He loved swimming" (Crespy 219).

Williams’ friend the writer Edward Albee (a homosexual himself) revealed that Williams was a pederast. A critic writes, “Williams's scandalous desire for boys was naturally kept outside of the official written texts (newspapers, interviews, and biographies) of Williams's era. Though it was kept out of the official record, it was apparently no secret that Tennessee Williams enjoyed the company of underage male companions. Robert Wallace remarks that "Tennessee Williams's attraction to adolescent boys,[was] a 'compulsion' reputed to have contributed to his despair and demise" (Wallace 22). Additionally, Albee, who visited with Williams towards the end of his life, comments on the issue: "He came out to Montauk several times and took a room, a couple of rooms in a place up beyond the town. And he usually brought some pretty boy -- usually some nice young kid -- unfortunately, he would beat up on him. Tennessee was something of a sadist, but he would swim in my pool, for hours at a time. He loved swimming" (Crespy 219).

   

   

Williams' play “Suddenly Last Summer” features a young American poet Sebastian Venables, who takes a seaside holiday somewhere in the Mediterranean  - well-known playground for pederasts - where he is murdered by a pack of starving street-boys. After he has had some dealings with them, the naked boys from the beach pursue him to his hotel and shout ugly names at him - suggesting perversion. Finally they devour him. The horror story conveys Williams’ mixed feelings of temptation and guilt as he encountered the available street-boys in Mexico, Europe or even in New Orleans. Williams is said to have gone on holidays with [[Gore Vidal]], both looking for boys, but unlike Vidal, Williams was at least aware of the exploitative side of what he was doing, as a rich foreigner taking advantage of those who were homeless and hungry.  

Williams' play “Suddenly Last Summer” features a young American poet Sebastian Venables, who takes a seaside holiday somewhere in the Mediterranean  - well-known playground for pederasts - where he is murdered by a pack of starving street-boys. After he has had some dealings with them, the naked boys from the beach pursue him to his hotel and shout ugly names at him - suggesting perversion. Finally they devour him. The horror story conveys Williams’ mixed feelings of temptation and guilt as he encountered the available street-boys in Mexico, Europe or even in New Orleans. Williams is said to have gone on holidays with [[Gore Vidal]], both looking for boys, but unlike Vidal, Williams was at least aware of the exploitative side of what he was doing, as a rich foreigner taking advantage of those who were homeless and hungry.