10 MYTHS ABOUT GAY MEN AND LESBIANS Dissecting the Claims Used by the Hard-Line Religious Right to Demonize the LGBT Community

A SPECIAL REPORT BY THE Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, Alabama

www.splcenter.org heterosexual because “he often finds adults of either sex repul- sive” and often molests children of both sexes. Regressive child molesters are generally attracted to other adults, but may 10 MYTHS “regress” to focusing on children Battling the ‘homosexual agenda,’ the hard- when confronted with stressful situations. Groth found that the line religious right has made a series of majority of regressed offenders incendiary claims. But they’re just not true were heterosexual in their adult relationships. BY EVELYN SCHLATTER AND ROBERT STEINBACK The Child Molestation Research and Prevention Ever since born-again singer and orange juice pitchwoman Anita Bryant Institute notes that 90% of child helped kick off the contemporary anti-gay movement more than 30 years molesters target children in ago, hard-line elements of the religious right have been searching for ways their network of family and to demonize homosexuals — or, at a minimum, to find arguments that will friends. Most child molesters, therefore, are not gay people prevent their normalization in society. For the former beauty queen lingering outside schools wait- and her Save Our Children group, it was the alleged plans of gays and les- ing to snatch children from the bians to “recruit” in schools that provided the fodder for their crusade. But playground, as much religious- in addition to hawking that myth, the legions of anti-gay activists who fol- right rhetoric suggests. lowed have added a panoply of others, ranging from the extremely doubtful MYTH # 2 claim that is a choice, to unalloyed lies like the claims that Same-sex parents harm gays molest children far more than heterosexuals or that hate crime laws children. will lead to the legalization of bestiality and necrophilia. These fairy tales are important to the anti-gay right, because they form the basis of its claim THE ARGUMENT Most hard-line anti-gay orga- that homosexuality is a social evil that must be suppressed — an opinion nizations are heavily invested, rejected by virtually all relevant medical and scientific authorities. They from both a religious and a polit- also almost certainly contribute to hate crime violence directed at homo- ical standpoint, in promoting the sexuals, who are more targeted for such attacks than any other minority in traditional nuclear family as the America. What follows are 10 key myths propagated by the anti-gay move- sole framework for the healthy upbringing of children. They ment, along with the truth behind the propaganda. maintain a reflexive belief that same-sex parenting must be harmful to children — although the exact nature of that sup- gist , the most leading researchers on preju- posed harm varies widely. MYTH # 1 ubiquitous purveyor of anti- dice against sexual minorities, THE FACTS Homosexuals molest gay , has been a reviewed a series of studies and No legitimate research has children at far higher rates major promoter of this myth. found no evidence that gay men demonstrated that same-sex than heterosexuals. Despite having been debunked molest children at higher rates couples are any more or any less repeatedly and very publicly, than heterosexual men. harmful to children than hetero- THE ARGUMENT Cameron’s work is still widely Anti-gay activists who make sexual couples. Depicting gay men as a threat relied upon by anti-gay orga- that claim allege that all men The American Academy to children may be the sin- nizations, although many no who molest male children should of Pediatrics in a 2002 policy gle most potent weapon for longer quote him by name. be seen as homosexual. But statement declared: “A grow- stoking public fears about THE FACTS research by A. Nicholas Groth, ing body of scientific literature homosexuality — and for win- According to the American a pioneer in the field of sexual demonstrates that children ning elections and referenda, Psychological Association, abuse of children, shows that is who grow up with one or two as Anita Bryant found out “homosexual men are not more not so. Groth found that there gay and/or lesbian parents fare during her successful 1977 likely to sexually abuse chil- are two types of child molest- as well in emotional, cognitive, campaign to overturn a Dade dren than heterosexual men ers: fixated and regressive. The social, and sexual functioning as County, Fla., ordinance bar- are.” Gregory Herek, a professor fixated child molester — the ste- do children whose parents are ring discrimination against gay at the University of California, reotypical pedophile — cannot heterosexual.” That policy state- people. Discredited psycholo- Davis, who is one of the nation’s be considered homosexual or ment was reaffirmed in 2009. The American Psychological THE FACTS his Family Research Institute, ulently anti-gay founder of Association found that “same- No scientifically sound study specifically a 1994 paper he co- Abiding Truth Ministries and sex couples are remarkably has linked or wrote entitled, “The Lifespan of Abrams is an organizer of a similar to heterosexual couples, identity with parental role-mod- Homosexuals.” Using obituaries group called the International and that parenting effective- eling or childhood sexual abuse. collected from gay newspapers, Committee for Holocaust Truth, ness and the adjustment, The American Psychiatric he and his two co-authors con- which came together in 1994 development and psycholog- Association noted in a 2000 cluded that gay men died, on and included Lively as a member. ical well-being of children is fact sheet on gay, lesbian and average, at 43, compared to an The primary argument Lively unrelated to parental sexual bisexual issues that “no specific average life expectancy at the and Abrams make is that gay orientation.” psychosocial or family dynamic time of around 73 for all U.S. men. people were not victimized by Similarly, the Child Welfare cause for homosexuality has On the basis of the same obit- the Holocaust. Rather, Hitler League of America’s official been identified, including histo- uaries, Cameron also claimed deliberately sought gay men for position with regard to same- ries of childhood sexual abuse.” that gay men are 18 times more his inner circle because their sex parents is that “lesbian, gay, The fact sheet goes on to say likely to die in car accidents than “unusual brutality” would help and bisexual parents are as well- that sexual abuse does not heterosexuals, 22 times more him run the party and master- suited to raise children as their appear to be any more preva- likely to die of heart attacks than mind the Holocaust. In fact, heterosexual counterparts.” lent among children who grow whites, and 11 times more likely “the Nazi party was entirely up and identify as gay, les- than blacks to die of the same controlled by militaristic MYTH # 3 bian or bisexual than in children cause. He also concluded that male homosexuals through- People become homosexual who grow up and identify as lesbians are 487 times more likely out its short history,” the book because they were sexually heterosexual. to die of murder, suicide, or acci- claims. “While we cannot say abused as children or there Similarly, the National dents than straight women. that homosexuals caused the was a deficiency in sex-role Organization on Male Sexual Remarkably, these claims Holocaust, we must not ignore modeling by their parents. Victimization notes on its web- have become staples of the their central role in Nazism,” site that “experts in the human anti-gay right and have fre- Lively and Abrams add. “To the THE ARGUMENT sexuality field do not believe quently made their way into far myth of the ‘’ — the Many anti-gay rights propo- that premature sexual experi- more mainstream venues. For notion that all homosexuals in nents claim that homosexuality ences play a significant role in example, William Bennett, edu- were persecuted is a mental disorder caused by late adolescent or adult sexual cation secretary under President — we must respond with the some psychological trauma or orientation” and added that it’s Reagan, used Cameron’s statis- reality of the ‘pink swastika.’” aberration in childhood. This unlikely that someone can make tics in a 1997 interview he gave These claims have been argument is used to counter the another person a homosexual or to ABC News’ “This Week.” picked up by a number of anti- common observation that no heterosexual. However, like virtually all of gay groups and individuals, one, gay or straight, consciously With regard to Schumm’s his “research,” Cameron’s meth- including Bryan Fischer of the chooses his or her sexual ori- study, critics have already said odology is egregiously flawed American Family Association, entation. Joseph Nicolosi, that he appears to have merely — most obviously because as proof that homosexuals a founder of the National aggregated anecdotal data, a the sample he selected (the are violent and sick. The book Association for Research and biased sample that invalidates data from the obits) was not has also attracted an audience Therapy of Homosexuality, said his findings. remotely statistically repre- among anti-gay church leaders in 2009 that “if you trauma- sentative of the homosexual in Eastern Europe and among tize a child in a particular way, MYTH # 4 population as a whole. Even Russian-speaking anti-gay you will create a homosexual Homosexuals don’t Nicholas Eberstadt, a demog- activists in America. condition.” He also has repeat- live nearly as long as rapher at the conservative THE FACTS edly said, “Fathers, if you don’t heterosexuals. American Enterprise Institute, The Pink Swastika has been hug your sons, some other man has called Cameron’s methods roundly discredited by legit- will.” A side effect of this argu- THE ARGUMENT “just ridiculous.” imate historians and other ment is the demonization of Anti-gay organizations want to scholars. Christine Mueller, parents of homosexuals, who promote heterosexuality as the MYTH # 5 professor of history at Reed are led to wonder if they failed healthier “choice.” Furthermore, Homosexuals controlled College, did a line-by-line ref- to protect a child against sexual the purportedly shorter life spans the Nazi Party and utation of an earlier (1994) abuse or failed as role models in and poorer physical and mental helped to orchestrate the Abrams article on the topic and some important way. In October health of homosexuals are often Holocaust. of the broader claim that the Nazi 2010, Kansas State University offered as reasons why gays and Party was “entirely controlled” family studies professor Walter lesbians shouldn’t be allowed to THE ARGUMENT by gay men. Historian Jon David Schumm said he was about to adopt or foster children. This claim comes directly from Wynecken at Grove City College release a related study argu- THE FACTS a 1995 book titled The Pink also refuted the book, pointing ing that homosexual couples are This falsehood can be traced Swastika: Homosexuality in the out that Lively and Abrams did more likely than heterosexuals directly to the discredited Nazi Party, by and no primary research of their own, to raise gay or lesbian children. research of Paul Cameron and Kevin Abrams. Lively is the vir- instead using out-of-context cita- tions of some legitimate sources edly claimed that such laws philia. Paraphilias, as defined Santa Barbara. The Palm Center while ignoring information from would lead to the jailing of reli- by the American Psychiatric report concluded that lifting those same sources that ran gious figures who preach against Assocation, are disorders char- bans against openly gay service counter to their thesis. homosexuality — part of a acterized by sexual urges or personnel in these countries The myth that the Nazis con- bid to gain the backing of the behaviors directed at nonhuman “ha[s] had no negative impact doned homosexuality sprang up broader religious community objects or non-consenting per- on morale, recruitment, reten- in the 1930s, started by socialist for their position. Janet Porter of sons like children, or that involve tion, readiness or overall combat opponents of the Nazis as a slan- Faith2Action was one of many the suffering or humiliation of effectiveness.” Successful tran- der against Nazi leaders. Credible who asserted that the federal one’s partner. sitions to new policies were historians believe that only one of Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Even if pedophiles, for exam- attributed to clear signals of lead- the half-dozen leaders in Hitler’s Prevention Act — signed into law ple, were protected under a hate ership support and a focus on a inner circle, Ernst Röhm, was gay. by President Obama in October crime law — and such a law has uniform code of behavior without (Röhm was murdered on Hitler’s 2009 — would “jail pastors” not been suggested or contem- regard to sexual orientation. orders in 1934.) The Nazis con- because it “criminalizes speech plated anywhere — that would A 2008 Military Times poll of sidered homosexuality one aspect against the homosexual agenda.” not legalize or “protect” pedo- active-duty military personnel, of the “degeneracy” they were In a related assertion, anti- philia. is illegal sexual often cited by anti-gay activists, trying to eradicate. gay activists claimed the law activity, and a law that more found that 10% of respondents When the National Socialist would lead to the legaliza- severely punished people who said they would not re-enlist if Party came to power in 1933, tion of psychosexual disorders attacked pedophiles would not the DADT policy were repealed. it quickly strengthened (paraphilias) like bestiality change that. That would mean some 228,000 Germany’s existing penalties and pedophilia. Bob Unruh, a people might leave the mili- against homosexuality. Heinrich conservative Christian jour- MYTH # 7 tary in that instance. But a 2009 Himmler, Hitler’s security chief, nalist who left The Associated Allowing homosexuals review of that poll by the Palm announced that homosexu- Press in 2006 for the right- to serve openly would Center suggested a wide dispar- ality was to be “eliminated” wing, conspiracist news site damage the armed forces. ity between what soldiers said in Germany, along with mis- WorldNetDaily, said shortly they would do and their actual cegenation among the races. before the federal law was THE ARGUMENT actions. It noted, for example, Historians estimate that passed that it would legalize Anti-gay groups are adamantly that far more than 10% of West between 50,000 and 100,000 “all 547 forms of sexual devi- opposed to allowing gay men Point officers in the 1970s said men were arrested for homo- ancy or ‘paraphilias’ listed and lesbians to serve openly they would leave the service if sexuality (or suspicion of it) by the American Psychiatric in the armed forces, not only women were admitted to the under the Nazi regime. These Association.” This claim was because of their purported fear academy. “But when the inte- men were routinely sent to con- repeated by many anti-gay that combat readiness will be gration became a reality,” the centration camps and many organizations, including the undermined, but because the report said, “there was no mass thousands died there. Family Institute. military has long been consid- exodus; the opinions turned out In 1942, the Nazis instituted THE FACTS ered the purest meritocracy in to be just opinions.” Similarly, the death penalty for homosex- The claim that hate crime laws America (the armed forces were a 1985 survey of 6,500 male uals. Offenders in the German could result in the imprison- successfully racially integrated Canadian service members and military were routinely shot. ment of those who “oppose the long before American civilian a 1996 survey of 13,500 British Himmler put it like this: “We homosexual lifestyle” is false. society, for example). If gays service members each revealed must exterminate these peo- The Constitution provides robust can serve honorably and effec- that nearly two-thirds expressed ple root and branch. … We can’t protections of free speech, and tively in this meritocracy, that strong reservations about serv- permit such danger to the coun- case law makes it clear that even would suggest that there is no ing with gays. Yet when those try; the homosexual must be a preacher who suggested that rational basis for discriminating countries lifted bans on gays completely eliminated.” homosexuals should be killed against them in any way. serving openly, virtually no one would be protected. THE FACTS left the service for that reason. MYTH # 6 Neither do hate crime laws Homosexuals now serve in “None of the dire predictions Hate crime laws will lead to — which provide for enhanced the U.S. armed forces, though of doom came true,” the Palm the jailing of pastors who penalties when persons are vic- under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Center report said. criticize homosexuality timized because of their “sexual Tell” (DADT) policy instituted in and the legalization of orientation” (among other fac- 1993, they cannot serve openly. MYTH # 8 practices like bestiality and tors) — “protect pedophiles,” At the same time, gays and les- Homosexuals are more necrophilia. as Janet Porter and many oth- bians serve openly in the armed prone to be mentally ill and ers have claimed. According forces of 25 countries, includ- to abuse drugs and alcohol. THE ARGUMENT to the American Psychological ing Britain, Israel, South Africa, Anti-gay activists, who have Association, sexual orienta- Canada and Australia, accord- THE ARGUMENT long opposed adding LGBT peo- tion refers to heterosexuality, ing to a report released by the Anti-gay groups want not only ple to those protected by hate homosexuality and bisexuality Palm Center, a policy think tank to depict sexual orientation as crime legislation, have repeat- — not paraphilias such as pedo- at the University of California at something that can be changed but also to show that hetero- rights protections to homosex- ies professor Walter Schumm pseudo-scientific founda- sexuality is the most desirable uals similar to those afforded said he was about to release a tion of the ex-gay movement “choice” — even if religious black Americans and other study showing that gay parents — has been rejected by all arguments are set aside. The minorities. But if people are born produced far more gay children the established and repu- most frequently used secu- gay — in the same way people than heterosexual parents. He table American medical, lar argument made by anti-gay have no choice as to whether told a reporter that he was “try- psychological, psychiatric, and groups in that regard is that they are black or white — dis- ing to prove [homosexuality is] professional counseling organi- homosexuality is inherently crimination against homosexuals not 100% genetic.” But critics zations. In 2009, for instance, unhealthy, both mentally and would be vastly more difficult suggested that his data did not the American Psychological physically. As a result, most to justify. Thus, anti-gay forces prove that, and, in any event, Association adopted a res- anti-gay rights groups reject the insist that sexual orientation is virtually no scientists have sug- olution, accompanied by a 1973 decision by the American a behavior that can be changed, gested that homosexuality is 138-page report, that repudiated Psychiatric Association (APA) not an immutable characteristic. caused only by genes. ex-gay therapy. The report con- to remove homosexuality from THE FACTS cluded that compelling evidence its list of mental illnesses. Some Modern science cannot state MYTH # 10 suggested that cases of individ- of these groups, including the conclusively what causes sex- Gay people can choose to uals going from gay to straight particularly hard-line Traditional ual orientation, but a great many leave homosexuality. were “rare” and that “many indi- Values Coalition, claim that studies suggest that it is the result viduals continued to experience “homosexual activists” man- of biological and environmental THE ARGUMENT same-sex sexual attractions” aged to infiltrate the APA in forces, not a personal “choice.” If people are not born gay, as after reparative therapy. The order to sway its decision. One of the more recent is a 2008 anti-gay activists claim, then it APA resolution added that THE FACTS Swedish study of twins (the should be possible for individu- “there is insufficient evidence All major professional men- world’s largest twin study) that als to abandon homosexuality. to support the use of psycho- tal health organizations are on appeared in The Archives of Sexual This view is buttressed among logical interventions to change record as stating that homosex- Behavior and concluded that “[h] religiously motivated anti- sexual orientation” and asked uality is not a mental disorder. omosexual behaviour is largely gay activists by the idea that “mental health professionals It is true that LGBT people shaped by genetics and random homosexual practice is a sin to avoid misrepresenting the suffer higher rates of anxiety, environmental factors.” Dr. Qazi and humans have the free will efficacy of sexual orientation depression, and depression- Rahman, study co-author and a needed to reject sinful urges. change efforts by promoting or related illnesses and behaviors leading scientist on human sex- A number of “ex-gay” reli- promising change in sexual ori- like alcohol and drug abuse ual orientation, said: “This study gious ministries have sprung entation.” The resolution also than the general population. But puts cold water on any concerns up in recent years with the affirmed that same-sex sex- studies done during the past 15 that we are looking for a single aim of teaching homosexu- ual and romantic feelings are years have determined that it ‘gay gene’ or a single environmen- als to become heterosexuals, normal. is the stress of being a member tal variable which could be used and these have become prime Some of the most striking, of a minority group in an often- to ‘select out’ homosexuality — purveyors of the claim that if anecdotal, evidence of the hostile society — and not LGBT the factors which influence sexual gays and lesbians, with the ineffectiveness of sexual reori- identity itself — that accounts orientation are complex. And aid of mental therapy and entation therapy has been the for the higher levels of mental we are not simply talking about Christian teachings, can numerous failures of some of illness and drug use. homosexuality here — heterosex- “come out of homosexuality.” its most ardent advocates. For Richard J. Wolitski, an ual behaviour is also influenced Exodus International, the larg- example, the founder of Exodus expert on minority status and by a mixture of genetic and envi- est of these ministries, plainly International, Michael Bussee, public health issues at the ronmental factors.” states, “You don’t have to be left the organization in 1979 Centers for Disease Control The American Psychological gay!” Another, the National with a fellow male ex-gay coun- and Prevention, put it like this in Association (APA) acknowl- Association for Research and selor because the two had fallen 2008: “Economic disadvantage, edges that despite much Therapy of Homosexuality, in love. Alan Chambers, cur- stigma, and discrimination … research into the possible describes itself as “a profes- rent president of Exodus, said increase stress and diminish the genetic, hormonal, social and sional, scientific organization in 2007 that with years of ther- ability of individuals [in minor- cultural influences on sexual that offers hope to those who apy, he’s mostly conquered ity groups] to cope with stress, orientation, no evidence has struggle with unwanted his attraction to men, but then which in turn contribute to poor emerged that would allow sci- homosexuality.” admitted, “By no means would physical and mental health.” entists to pinpoint the precise THE FACTS we ever say that change can be causes of sexual orientation. “Reparative” or sexual reori- sudden or complete.” s MYTH # 9 Still, the APA concludes that entation therapy — the No one is born a homosexual. “most people experience little or no sense of choice about their THE ARGUMENT sexual orientation.” Anti-gay activists keenly oppose In October 2010, Kansas the granting of “special” civil State University family stud- www.splcenter.org