This classic study, published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology in 1996, used a delightful technique called “penile plethysmography” to measure porn-induced “tumescence” in men who self-identified as “exclusively heterosexual.” Its abstract concludes: “Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.”

More fun facts:

In the homophobic group, 20% showed no significant tumescence, 26% showed moderate tumescence, and 54% showed definite tumescence to the homosexual video; the corresponding percentages in the nonhomophobic group were 66%, 10%, and 24%, respectively.

Think about it. Of the penises belonging to this group of straight-identified homophobic men, 80% got more engorged while their owners were watching gay porn. Eighty percent. Of those belonging to non-haters, about a third did. Think about that, homophobes.

Alvin McEwen has a great, very important petition at Change.org that you should all check out.  In it, he is petitioning the United States Congress to subject Religious Right testimony on LGBT issues to a high level of scrutiny, based on their pattern of cravenly distorting actual research in order to further their anti-gay agenda:

In June of this year during a Congressional hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act, Sen. Al Franken exposed Focus on the Family’s Tom Minnery’s attempt to inaccurately cite a study to defame same-sex households.

Earlier this year during another Congressional hearing on DOMA, National Organization for Marriage’s Maggie Gallagher committed the same distortion – i.e. inaccurately citing a study to defame same-sex households. Gallagher’s group (NOM) has also been called out twice by the Pulitzer Prize winning site Politifact for inaccurate negative statements it has made about the gay community.

The Family Research Council was declared as an official anti-gay hate group last year by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its tendency to spread propaganda about the gay community such as gays molest children at a high level and same-sex households harm children.

However, the head of the Family Research Council – Tony Perkins – is frequently called as a Congressional witness on many occasions from discussing issues of gay equality to the selection of Supreme Court justices.

That’s just three examples. Alvin points out at his blog that, though Tom Minnery was called out, Maggie Gallagher and Tony Perkins got away with it, and that this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Religious Right distorting the work of real, honest researchers.  That petition, again, is at Change.org, so check it out and sign it.

The other petition comes from Kathy Baldock, and focuses on the pride celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina.  If you’re not familiar with Kathy, she is a straight, evangelical woman who spends her days fighting for dignity and respect for LGBT people within the church.  At Charlotte Pride, as usual, the vehemently anti-gay activist Michael Brown has planned a counter demonstration called “God Has A Better Way.”  Brown has a distinct pattern of pretending that he is reaching out in love to LGBT people, and somehow managing to send some of the most grotesque, hateful messages possible to the gay community.  Kathy explains a bit more about the message of the God Has A Better Way people:

The stated beliefs of the backers of GHABW * with respect to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are:

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are a deviation from God’s best, God’s intentions and His design.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people can change orientation and be heterosexual with no negative effects.

If they do not succeed in orientation change, they should remain celibate in order to identify as Christians.( “Gay Christian” is always placed in quotation marks to dismiss the existence of gay Christians.)

The majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are inherently unhappy, unhealthy, sexually immoral or rebellious to the will of God.

Transgender people would best follow God’s plan by using hormonal therapy, prayer and counseling to overcome the issue of gender identity. Sexual reassignment surgery should never be used as an option.

Acting on same sex attraction is sinful and indicative of non-submission to God.
Same-sex attraction is a behavior, not an orientation.

In your face hateful, as usual.  These people, of course, claim that they are bringing this message in “love,” but Michael Brown has shown repeatedly that his concept of “love” is warped at best.

Sign Kathy’s petition to ask the group to cancel their nasty little counter rally here.

The other day, I wrote about Australian pastor and MP Fred Nile, who made this insane claim opposing adoption rights by gay couples:

Addressing the packed public meeting, Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Fred Nile said the bill could deter women thinking of adopting out their child and “lead to the tragedy of abortion”.

“Any mother putting up her baby for adoption would never imagine that their baby would be brought up by two male homosexuals or two female lesbians,” he said.

“Is this really an ideological issue or homosexuals demanding yet another human right?

So this news isn’t all that surprising:

The Reverend Fred Nile, a Christian Democrat MP in New South Wales, Australia, said that porn accessed on a parliamentary computer under his log-on likely resulted from official research and not someone “sitting there perving.”

According to The Herald Sun, the parliamentary audit turned up close to 200,000 hits, which Nile blamed on research for his efforts to tame the porn industry.

“He said the porn site research was used for questions, speeches, and bills, including the federal Labor government’s internet filter plan,” reported the Sun.

TWO-HUNDRED THOUSAND HITS!

That kind of committed research could leave a man raw, if you know whadda mean.

Wait, I think I’ve heard of this sort of “research” before, somewhere.

[photo via The Advocate]

Anti-Gay Organization Drew False Link Between Sexual Abuse and Homosexuality

NEW YORK — In a letter made available to Truth Wins Out, the authors of a book on the health of gay men have accused Focus on the Family of distorting their research. The researchers publicly repudiated an article written by “ex-gay” activist Jeff Johnston in Focus on the Family’ web magazine, Citizen Link, which falsely linked homosexuality to childhood sexual abuse. This letter marks the tenth researcher in two years who has claimed that Focus on the Family misrepresented their work.

“Focus on the Family has zero credibility when it comes to interpreting or analyzing scientific research,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “This group has serially distorted legitimate studies on human sexuality to score political points and demean gay and lesbian people. We thank these researchers for having the courage to come forward and set the record straight.”

In the article, “Childhood Sexual Abuse and Male Homosexuality”, Johnston wrote, “Many pro-gay researchers, activists and theorists deny that there could be a connection between child sexual abuse and adult homosexuality.” As proof of a supposed connection, he cited a 2008 book, “Unequal Opportunity: Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States”, edited by Professors Richard J. Wolitski, Ron Stall (pictured), and Ronald O. Valdiserri.

When approached by Truth Wins Out, the researchers were surprised by the manipulation of their data and agreed to respond.

“We want to respond to a recent Focus on the Family characterization of scientific findings reported in our book, “Unequal Opportunity: Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States’ that misrepresented findings in the book to suggest that childhood sexual abuse causes male homosexuality,” Stall and Valdiseri wrote in their letter. “The Focus on the Family description of the findings reported in Unequal Opportunity is inaccurate and, in our opinion, a distortion of the scientific literature.”

Focus on the Family has made a habit out of twisting science to back its anti-gay agenda. Melissa Fryrear, a Love Won Out speaker, has also repeated the phony link between abuse and homosexuality.

“I never met one woman who had not been sexually violated or sexually threatened in her life,” said Fryrear at a 2007 Love Won Out conference in Phoenix. “I never met one woman. And I never met one man either, that had not been sexually violated or sexually seduced in his life.”

“We call on the media to stop quoting an organization on gay issues which has proven to be untrustworthy and unethical in its use of research,” said Besen. “It is abundantly clear that this organization will do and say anything in its effort to misrepresent the lives of gay and lesbian people.”

The editors of the book have released the following statement to Truth Wins Out regarding Focus’ portrayal of their publication’ research:

We want to respond to a recent Focus on the Family characterization of scientific findings reported in our book, Unequal Opportunity: Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States (Oxford University Press) that misrepresented findings in the book to suggest that childhood sexual abuse causes male homosexuality. The Focus on the Family description of the findings reported in Unequal Opportunity is inaccurate and, in our opinion, a distortion of the scientific literature. (Read More)

In recent weeks, Exodus International and Focus on the Family have promoted a report by Focus on the Family activist Jeff Johnston which claims that research supports the ex-gay contention that homosexuality is caused by childhood sexual abuse.

The editors of the book have released the following statement to Truth Wins Out regarding Focus’ portrayal of their publication’s research.

We want to respond to a recent Focus on the Family characterization of scientific findings reported in our book, Unequal Opportunity: Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States (Oxford University Press) that misrepresented findings in the book to suggest that childhood sexual abuse causes male homosexuality. The Focus on the Family description of the findings reported in Unequal Opportunity is inaccurate and, in our opinion, a distortion of the scientific literature.

Most basically, the Focus on the Family characterization of the literature on childhood sexual abuse among gay men represents a misunderstanding of scientific approaches to distinguishing between correlation and causation. The book chapter in question reports that gay men are more likely to report childhood sexual abuse by men than are heterosexual men. This correlation does not mean that the reported abuse caused the adult sexual orientation. If that were the case, then the fact that some heterosexual men report sexual abuse by women means that sexual abuse by women “causes” heterosexuality in men. It is also worth noting that the argument that childhood sexual abuse causes homosexuality in gay men is undermined by the fact that the vast majority of gay men are not sexually abused as children.

One potential partial explanation for this correlation, and one that makes the most sense when you consider people of all orientations, is that some youth, particularly post-pubertal youth (who still cannot legally consent to sexual activity) have sexual experiences with males or females, depending on their pre-existing orientation. Let’ be very clear that this does not mean that these experiences are appropriate or healthy. However, it also does not mean that these experiences caused the sexual orientation of the youth. The development of a person’ sexual orientation is a complex and multifaceted process. The research into these processes has barely begun, and the development of sexuality is very difficult to study. Mischaracterizations of the scientific literature on the development of sexual orientation is not helpful to science.

Rather than mischaracterize these findings, we would like to point out the harm to health that can be caused by childhood sexual abuse among boys and girls of all sexual orientations. Childhood sexual abuse occurs to far too many young Americans and a large and growing literature supports that this abuse can cause lifelong damage to the physical and mental health and well-being of men and women of all sexual orientations. We suggest that Focus on the Family and other concerned organizations focus on how to work to ensure that all of our children remain safe from unwanted sexual experiences– whether heterosexual or homosexual.

That said, we want to state clearly that the published research does not support the claim that the development of a homosexual orientation is caused by childhood sexual abuse. Furthermore, adult homosexual orientation is no longer considered a pathology or a maladjustment. We urge those who are interested in trying to better understand some of these complex issues from a scientific perspective to read the discussions in our book, as well as the scientific literature on childhood sexual abuse, and not rely on second-hand interpretations.

Ron Stall
Ron Valdiserri

Why, exactly, does Exodus International — the world’s largest ex-gay organization — allow scientifically inept writers to make the organization’s outreach to youth appear ignorant and irrational?

And why does Exodus commit research fraud just a few months after the reparative-therapy lobbying group NARTH was publicly exposed and criticized for committing fraud with the same research?

I wondered this, again, after reading Emproph‘s latest dissection of a new Exodus Youth article that claims to educate readers about the science of sexual orientation.

Exodus cites 16-year-old research as if it were current; ignores research that has occurred since 1993; mischaracterizes studies regarding the biology of sexual orientation; and overlooks the antigay politics and discredited claims of its main source, reparative therapist Jeffrey Satinover.

Exodus also mischaracterizes the research of Dr. Lisa Diamond, who publicly discredited NARTH last year for mischaracterizing her research regarding sexual fluidity and bisexuality in the same manner.

Exodus concludes by misrepresenting the research of Dr. Robert Spitzer, who in a 2001 study found that few people appear capable of changing their sexual orientation — and that of those who claim to be successful, many remain mostly or fully same-sex-attracted despite their claim to be heterosexual.

The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) is known for distorting research about gay and lesbian people. Critics have long claimed that NARTH’s goal is to twist science to make it fit anti-gay religious beliefs. Today, this was confirmed by an e-mail obtained by Truth Wins Out that was sent to a potential client who asked NARTH about its methods. The “therapy” group responded with this reply:

“As an organization we are trying to maintain the ability for counselors to continue to be able to help those struggling with same sex attraction, the American Psychological Association will not listen to religious reasons so we have taken a stance to have scientific proof as to how and why we should be able to help those live a heterosexual lifestyle.”

This is precisely why NARTH cannot be trusted. NARTH cherry-picks research and dishonestly call it “proof” that their religion is backed by research. They disregard anything that does not back their agenda.

In its latest defense of untruth, Focus on the Family today falsely portrayed James Dobson as sole founder of Focus on the Family and affirmed Dobson’s distortions of scientific research.
(Read More)

One week ago, TruthWinsOut.org published exclusive comments by Gary Remafedi, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, who said the “ex-gay” organization PFOX distorted his research findings:

“My work has been cited by PFOX in response to a Washington Post article on gay-straight alliances (GSA),” wrote Dr. Remafedi. “PFOX misuses one of my studies on suicide attempts in gay youth to argue that people should not identify their sexual orientation at young ages. Our findings do not support the contention that young people choose their identity or the timing of events in identity formation. Nor is there any evidence that the availability of GSAs influences those developmental processes.”

Today, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays was caught in another lie by Ed Brayton of ScienceBlogs.com.

Brayton (pictured) noticed that, in an article posted by the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow propaganda service in the wee hours of July 26, PFOX executive director Regina Griggs said: “Over 70 percent of young kids 13- to 24-years-old, men having sex with men, are now HIV-positive.”

Brayton, who is heterosexual, crunches the numbers from current federal Centers for Disease Control research on youth sexual health, and finds that approximately 3.1 percent of men aged 13 to 24, who have sex with men, are HIV-positive. In a worst-case scenario, Brayton finds that 5 percent of MSM in this age group might be HIV-positive.

Brayton comments:

[Griggs] also makes the ridiculous claim that teenagers can’t self-identify as straight or gay. Has she never been a teenager? I knew I was straight the moment I hit puberty and started feeling sexually attracted to girls. Every gay man I know says the exact same thing about feeling sexually attracted to boys at the same time. There wasn’t any confusion about it, you just are what you are, no choice involved.

Hat tip: Box Turtle Bulletin

Attack on Barack Obama Hypocritical, Says TWO

NEW YORK — TruthWinsOut.org (TWO) responded today to Focus on the Family leader James Dobson’ attack on Barack Obama. On Dobson’ daily radio show, the right wing leader accused the democratic nominee of “distorting’ the Bible. This charge was odd, considering Dobson has been blamed by at least seven top researchers for ” distorting” their scientific findings.

“James Dobson is a serial distorter and has consistently twisted the work of respected scientists to support his political agenda,” said TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen. “It his the height of hypocrisy for him to point fingers and accuse others of distortions. It is clear that Dobson has little credibility and has tremendous difficulty with the truth.”
In the past two years, at least seven researchers have accused Dobson of manipulating or cherry picking their results to back his anti-gay teachings. Letters and videos documenting the concerns of these respected professors can be viewed at TruthWinsOut.org.

The first researcher to step forward was New York University educational psychologist Carol Gilligan, PhD. On Sept. 14, 2006 Gilligan wrote a letter to Dobson that stated: “I was mortified to learn that you had distorted my work this week in a guest column you wrote in Time Magazine…What you wrote was not truthful and I ask that you refrain from ever quoting me again and that you apologize for twisting my work.”

The most recent scientist to claim Dobson distorted his work was University of Minnesota’ Gary Remafedi, M.D., M.P.H. In a letter to Dobson dated April 28, 2008 he wrote, “I want to draw your attention to a gross misrepresentation of our research at the website of “Focus on the Family.’”

Other leading researchers who have taken issue with Dobson’ use of their work include: Dr. Kyle Pruett, Professor of child psychiatry, the Yale University School of Medicine; Dr. Robert Spitzer, Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University; Angela Phillips, Professor, Goldsmiths College in London; Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, Associate professor, school of nursing, University of British Columbia; and Dr. Judith Stacy, Professor of sociology, New York University

“We urge the media to report the facts and allow America to see the real James Dobson,” said Besen. “He portrays himself as a beacon of morality, but he is really just a tower of half truths.”

Truth Wins OUT is a non-profit organization that counters right wing propaganda, exposes the “ex-gay” myth and educates America about gay life. For more information, visit www.TruthWinsOut.org.
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