"Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react sexually to a woman, or to an old boot for that matter. In fact, both homo - and heterosexual experimental subjects have been conditioned to react sexually to an old boot, and you can save a lot of money that way"

This quote by William S. Burroughs is recommending that sexual preference is not a fixed characteristic, but rather something that can be conditioned. He is indicating that both homosexual and heterosexual people can be conditioned to respond sexually to an item, such as an old boot. This suggests that sexual orientation is not something that is predetermined, but rather something that can be altered or controlled. Burroughs is also making a joke about the cost-effectiveness of utilizing an old boot to condition somebody's sexual preference, instead of using more pricey techniques. This quote is a humorous method of making a point about the malleability of sexual preference.