Thursday, July 16, 2009

How do I distort thee? Let me count the ways

The Fundie's distortion of gays has been going on so long it is possible to list such things as Top 6 Distortion Techniques and Top 17 Lies. The distortion techniques are:

* Use old studies (from when being gay was classified as an illness), studies that weren't meant to generalize, or drawing homosexual conclusions from studies that didn't include gays (children need Mom and Dad, so gays can't adopt). There are long lists of researchers saying their work is misused.

* Repetition. In spite of complaints of distortion, the citations are not removed.

* Conspiracy Theory. That dratted Homosexual Agenda.

* Dire Consequences (always without proof). We'll be the downfall of Western Civilization.

* Phony Experts. Making claims in an area in which they have no expertise.

* Dehumanizing Semantics. All that indoctrinating of innocent kids.

Many of the lies have been spouted so often we know most of them by heart, so I won't list them all. A selection:

* The homosexual lifestyle is more harmful than cigarette smoking.

* Gays want to silence Christians.

* All gays are pedophiles.

* A judge who rules in our favor is an "activist."

* Homosexuals can change their orientation.

Such distortions are, of course, institutionalized. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly supports gays, Fundie groups have created the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) to trumpet their distorted research. This posting explores the first distortion technique in more detail. One of the commenters adds a supporting detail: get the "research" published in a journal and claim it has been properly peer-reviewed (but only by people who are also anti-gay, not necessarily with proper expertise).

Here is a list of articles and books in which the authors complain that their work has been distorted by Fundies. A responder notes they distort the bible, why do we expect something different with science?

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