Dr. Keith Ablow is worried that gay bullies will now attack him for penning a column today that supports an already debunked, flawed research paper which claims to find gays and lesbians make very bad parents. Dr. Ablow, a Fox News contributor and psychiatrist, just published a column, “Study finds host of challenges for kids of gay parents,” which, of course, attempts to whitewash the flawed methodology and support the subsequent flawed conclusions of the Mark Regnerus “study.”
In the safety of his Fox News space, Ablow writes:
I hesitated to write about this topic in an opinion piece. I didn’t hesitate because I think the topic frivolous. I didn’t hesitate because I think of Social Science Research as a meaningless journal (because it is anything but that). I didn’t hesitate because funding for the NESS comes partly from conservative groups (because data are data, unless they can be refuted on objective grounds, and this study is painstaking, in many regards). I hesitated because I worried about getting more of the threats and hate mail (by post and e-mail) I receive whenever I even mention the seemingly unspeakable issue of how social forces related to sexual orientation and gender identity might impact well being in children.
Perhaps we should all apologize for having pointed out that Ablow in the past has said that transgender people are just like heroin addicts and anorexics. Or perhaps we should all apologize for having pointed out that Ablow in the past has said transgenderism is not a civil right. Or perhaps we should all apologize for having pointed out that Ablow in the past has equated pedophilia with sexual orientation. And perhaps we should all apologize for having pointed out that Ablow in the past has warned parents to not let their children watch Chaz Bono on Dancing With The Stars because watching Chaz Bono on Dancing With The Stars might make children transgender.
The brace Dr. Keith Ablow, however, of course didn’t succumb to his fears of being bullied by the LGBT community and our allies, even those with facts.
Yet, yielding to that worry would mean that being bullied way back when I was a school kid might have left me timid, and I just can’t abide that. When I see a path of enquiry that might yield some bit of truth, I want to try to be the person who takes it, no matter how treacherous. And, so, it is with this commentary, now in your good hands, to take or leave, to debate, to discuss—as Tennyson wrote, “to strive, to seek, to find…”
Ah. So noble.
Ablow does, however, correctly write of there Regnerus paper that the data “and it is data—does not indicate why these differences were found,” and adds, “After all, this study did not specifically address (as a separate group) the children born to gay couples who were married.” But he also adds, “the data should not be dismissed.”
Ablow, who quit the American Psychiatric Association after they made clear his professional views on gender identity were incorrect, has no problem cherry picking facts and data to suit his (in my non-psychiatric opinion) narcissistic personality. Don’t like what thousands of your peers have found via study after study? Quit the APA. Don’t liker that conservative and liberal researchers alike have debunked the Regnerus “study”? Ignore the facts and claim it’s “just data.”
Except it’s not. Flawed data is still flawed. any man of science should realize that.
“It was generated, after all, by academic leaders at major universities and published by an esteemed journal with no political agenda and an advisory board with representatives from about three dozen universities,” Ablow adds, ignoring the fact of who aid for the study. Two radically-right wing conservative think tanks with ties to the Mormon Church and NOM, the National Organization For Marriage.
Ablow, who last year co-authored a book with Glenn Beck, notes:
What we should avoid at all costs is silencing such research and such discussion because it is seen by some as politically incorrect. Where optimizing the well-being of children is involved, no stone should be left unturned.
Yes, where “the well-being of children is involved, no stone should be left unturned.” Unless they are stones created to make the lives and futures of the one million lesbian and gay parents and their two million children harder, more stigmatized, and more subject to attack — thanks to flawed research, then, yes, those fake stones, paid for to the tune of almost $800,000, should be left unturned.
Related:
Junk Science: Dr. Keith Ablow, Tony Perkins Spread Anti-Gay Hate On Fox
FOX’s Ablow: Lesbian Hilary Rosen Can’t Let A Man Be Comfortable Being A Man
Keith Ablow Demands You Declare War On Benetton For Its UnHate Campaign
Ablow: Transgender People Are Just Like Heroin Addicts And Anorexics
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{ 4 comments }
From:
Scott Rose
Journalist
In Re: GLAAD press release on Regnerus study
Hello:
I wanted to point out to all of you something extremely important to note about the following part of your press release:
"Regnerus is well known for his ultra-conservative ideology and the paper was funded by the Witherspoon Institute and the Bradley Foundation – two groups commonly known for their support of conservative causes. The Witherspoon Institute also has ties to the Family Research Council, the National Organization for Marriage, and ultra-conservative Catholic groups like Opus Dei."
The evil hand behind the Regnerus anti-gay hate propaganda is NOM's Robert George.
The study manifestly is part of the Republican establishment's Rove-playbook politicking in an election year.
Yes; the "study" was funded by the Witherspoon Institute (Robert George, Senior Fellow) and the Bradley Foundation (Robert George, Board member). And yes, Witherspoon Institute has a connection to the Family Research Council (Robert George, Board member) and the National Organization for Marriage (Robert George, founder, chairman emeritus, listed under its current personnel on the NOM website). As for Opus Dei, Robert George is famously instrumental in abetting its infiltration of Princeton.
George should be considered the author of the notorious NOM pledge signed by Romney and other Republican candidates. Boehner recently rewarded George for his gay-bashing service in favor of Republican candidates, by appointing him to the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom. It is chilling to realize that were Romney to win, Hillary Clinton's address on gay rights would go into the wood chipper, and Robert George, already embedded in the US government, would lead the charge to roll back LGBT rights worldwide, using US influence to attempt to do so.
Note also that Regnerus has admitted that his "Christian" views taint his research: http://tcc.trnty.edu/alumni/profiles/regnerus/
"As Christians, our lives should reflect our relationship with God and our desire to glorify Him," Regnerus says. "I've noticed that some Christian professors see a disconnect between their faith and their profession. I believe that if your faith matters, it should inform what you teach and what you research.
Sincerely,
Scott Rose
PS — Glenn Beck was mentored by NOM's Robert George; it's a fact.
Does Keith Ablow realize that he is gonna get backlash anytime he promotes anti-ANYONE research? It's just that he consistently goes after the LGBT community, like he is some expert (which he is not, you have to live it to know, honestly)! Speaking of honest, I do not think this man has EVER made an honest informed with reality, comment!
Now that there is F-U-N-N-Y
Ha ha ha ha, I am laughing my guts out. Because I sent this message to Ablow a few hours ago.
Dr. Ablow,
I feel you have done a diservice to your readers by portraying the research of Dr. Regnerus as a indication of how the children of a gay couple fare.
I hope that you can edit your article to reflect this. Dr. Regenerus's Respondents were raised in a MIXED ORIENTATION MARRIAGE (MOM), or a MIXED ORIENTATION SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP. A MOM is where one spouse is gay and one spouse is straight. That is who responded to this survey people who had parents in a MOM. Regnerus confirms that he found only a few Respondents who were raised in a straight up lesbian or straight up gay home. Here is part of his e-mail to me which he asked me to post.
[snip]"By the way, one of the key methodological criticisms circulating is that–basically–in a population-based sample, I haven’t really evaluated how the adult children of stably-intact coupled self-identified lesbians have fared. Right? Right. And I’m telling you that it cannot be feasibly accomplished. It is a methodological (practical) impossibility at present, for reasons I describe: they really didn’t exist in numbers that could be amply obtained *randomly*. It may well be a flaw–limitation, I think–but it is unavoidable. We maxxed Knowledge Networks’ ability, and no firm is positioned to do better. It would have cost untold millions of dollars, and still may not generate the number of cases needed for statistical analyses.[end snip] You can read the full e-mail exchange here- http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/06/11/45557
We know that only 1/3 of Mixed Orientation Marriages attempt to stay together after disclosure and of that 1/3, only half manage to stay together for 3 years or more (and it goes really down hill after 7 years).
FWIW I agree with Dr. Regnerus Mixed Orientation Marriages (or Mixed Orientation Sexual Relationships) that produce children are VERY BAD for the children. And that is what his study proves. It does not attempt and does NOT assess the outcomes of children raised by 2 loving moms or 2 loving dads. It.Does.Not
I pasted this pic into the e-mail [Everybody CLICK ON THE LINK TO TE PIC IT'S GREAT] http://wakingupnow.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/20…
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