 |
| Stanton |
. . . analyst Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family paints a different picture of the professor and his work.
"Professor Regnerus is an imminently good scholar -- very careful, very thoughtful," Stanton asserts. "I've read his study. He bends over backwards to really try to be measured … thoughtful and fair with the data. He doesn't slam anybody; he doesn't implicate anybody."
So the family analyst is shocked that the university would undertake this investigation based on one letter from a homosexual activist blogger. "We do need to understand that it's not scholars complaining about that and making that charge; it's one gay activist blogger who is," Stanton notes. "And unfortunately, the University of Texas at Austin kowtowed to that request."
That's the crux of Stanton's defense - "Professor Regnerus' study isn't faulty because it's really really good and Regnerus is a really, really, really nice guy."
It shouldn't surprise anyone that Stanton can't offer a suitable defense of Regnerus' study. Though Focus on the Family anoints Stanton as an "expert," he himself a history of getting into trouble for distorting scientific work in his attempt to denigrate the gay community. In March 2008, he claimed that there’s a “clear consensus” among anthropologists that “A family is a unit that draws from the two types of humanity, male and female.”
However, those with expertise in such matters vehemently disagreed with this claim.
The American Anthropological Association in particular wrote a letter to Focus on the Family blasting Stanton for his error, calling it a gross misrepresentation of the position of the anthropological community on gay marriage.
This year, he was called out by Think Progress for distorting one study to oppose marriage equality. And then Equality Matters, another site, refuted his attempt to attack a pro-gay parenting study.
I had a personal discussion with him (which I posted online and you can read here) taking him to task for citing a fictional anti-gay term - gay bowel syndrome - to denigrate the gay community in a piece he wrote. His defense of using the term says a lot more about his bias than his alleged expertise.
Basically it comes down to this - Glenn T. Stanton defending any study against claims of distortions is like a rabid wolf defending another wolf from Little Red Riding Hood.
So the family analyst is shocked that the university would undertake this investigation based on one letter from a homosexual activist blogger. "We do need to understand that it's not scholars complaining about that and making that charge; it's one gay activist blogger who is," Stanton notes. "And unfortunately, the University of Texas at Austin kowtowed to that request."
ReplyDeleteA spokesman for the University of Texas has already stated that they respond to any such complaints by launching an initial investigation, regardless of how many people are behind the complaint or what their background is. So Stanton is merely "shocked" that the university is following its own procedures.
Plus, Stanton is forgetting (or ignoring) that over 200 scholars signed a strongly worded critique of the study.
So yeah, it seems that Stanton is up to the same old weaselly tricks.
Four Professors of the Sociology Department in Regnerus own University wrote a piece on the Huffington Post about how the study is invalid. His own peers say it is invalid and yet here is an SPLC certified hate group spokesbigot saying just the opposite. THE LYING FROM THE REICH WING RELIGITARDS IS A COVER FOR POLITICAL GAY BASHING in an election year and this is their way of fucking over the 4 marriage ballot initiatives. Make no mistake, this is a POLITICAL HIT PIECE not an academic study. Here is a link to their critique of Regnerus: www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-umberson/texas-professors-gay-research_b_1628988.html
ReplyDeleteMykelb: I double-checked. Focus on the Family is not on the SPLC's list. Does Stanton speak for another organization that I'm not aware of?
ReplyDeleteStanton has, of course, no actual academic credentials, and apparently nothing in peer reviewed journals, to suggest that he is an actual expert in the sociology of the family. He does have a Masters degree from a respectable university, which means that's he should be adequately knowledgeable about intellectual integrity, but...
ReplyDelete"Stanton’s bio on Focus’ website only lists a master’s degree in interdisciplinary humanities with an emphasis in philosophy, history and religion from the University of West Florida. http://empathological.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/correcting-the-myth-about-the-myth-of-christian-divorce-part-i/
I think this is what Mykelb had in mind. FOTF isn't a SPLC certified hate group," but in 2005, SPLC said that it was one of "A Dozen Major Groups Help Drive the Religious Right’s Anti-Gay Crusade," some of which, but not FOTF, were "SPLC certified hate group[s]."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/a-mighty-army
I thought that Focus on the Family had at one time been on SPLC's hate group list but cleaned up its act and was de-listed.
ReplyDelete