Ellis is often attributed with coining the term "homosexuality" but in reality he despised the word because it conflated Latin and Greek roots and instead used the term "invert" in his published works. Soon after "Sexual Inversion" was published in England, it was banned as lewd and scandalous. Ellis argued that homosexuality was a characteristic of a minority, and was not acquired or a vice and was not curable. He advocated changing the laws to leave those who chose to practice homosexuality at peace, because at the time it was a punishable crime. He believed societal reform could occur, but only after the public was educated. His book became a landmark in the understanding of homosexuality.