Anti-gay groups own the patent on scientific distortions

The sad fact that a pro-gay study has turned out to be fraudulent would only be made worse should, when discussing this situation, folks forget that anti-gay groups have practically wrote the book on distorting science.

FOF's Tom Minnery distorted science in 2011.

By now, I am sure many of you have heard about this monstrosity of a situation:

A study claiming that gay people advocating same-sex marriage can change voters’ minds has been retracted due to fraud. . . . The study was published last December in Science, and received lots of media attention (including from BuzzFeed News). It found that a 20-minute, one-on-one conversation with a gay political canvasser could steer voters in favor of same-sex marriage. Not only that, but these changed opinions lasted for at least a year and influenced other people in the voter’s household, the study found.

Donald Green, the senior author on the study, retracted it on Tuesday shortly after learning that his co-author, UCLA graduate student Michael LaCour, had faked the results. Science posted an official “editorial expression of concern” — a very big deal in the science world — on Wednesday afternoon.

“I am deeply embarrassed by this turn of events and apologize to the editors, reviewers, and readers of Science,” Green, a professor of political science at Columbia University, said in his retraction letter to the journal, as posted on the Retraction Watch blog.

I am personally furious for the obvious reasons that a pro-gay study turned out to be fraudulent, but also I can just imagine how anti-gay groups and spokespeople will attempt to spin this.  If they are smart, they would be wise to remain in their glass houses.

'Jindal enforcing anti-gay discrimination via executive order?' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Jindal

Bobby Jindal Vows To Enforce Religious Freedom Measure Through Executive Order - Good news - the Louisiana legislature killed that awful anti-gay "religious liberty" bill. BAD NEWS - Gov. Bobby Jindal is pushing it through via an executive order. Oh yeah, Bobby. THAT will get you to the White House. 

Jindal: Protecting LGBT Rights Will Hurt Businesses In The Long Run - And naturally after he does that awful act, Jindal runs to the anti-gay hate group Family Research Council for cover. This post is specifically for those who underestimate the power of anti-gay groups and say the lgbt community shouldn't "give them any attention." 

 Backlash, Bullies, and Victory Blindness - Wonderful piece by my new friend Richard J. Rosendall on how conservatives (some who are gay) are attempting to undercut lgbt equality victories.  

Ted Cruz, Cornered Again on Gay Rights, Says ISIS is Worse Than He Is - But YOU were the one who said that marriage equality was the greatest threat to "religious freedom" and also implied something about "mandatory gay marriages." Don't deflect about ISIS when you can't stand the heat of the fire you started. 

 Host Of Rubio Fundraiser Was Foreign Agent For Dictator Who Endorses Gay Beheadings - Something to remember the next time Marco Rubio whines about being "labeled as a bigot." 

 Data Faked In Study About Gay People Changing Voters’ Minds - What the @%!$! There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for this type of behavior, especially from those who are supposed to be our allies. The only good thing which can come out of this is if and when the anti-gay right trumpet this situation, we can remind folks of the many, many times they have distorted science to demonize gays, INCLUDING a certain $850,000+ fraudulent study on gay parenting which blew up in their faces in time for the DOMA case at the Supreme Court. In fact, one can almost expect a stand alone post from me on these distortions so we can have a level playing field when it comes to just WHO likes to distort science.

'The New Black' explores relationship between black community & lgbt equality

After the 2008 Prop 8 vote, the African-American community shouldered the blame (whether unfairly or not) for that loss. Four years later, it was the African-American community which played a pivotal role in marriage equality coming to Maryland.

What changed over four year's time? If you ask me, it was less assumptions by lgbt community and more dialogue between that community and the African-American community as well as the basic acknowledgement of lgbts of color.

A wonderful film, The New Black, examines what happened in Maryland against the backdrop of the struggle of lgbt equality in the black community. Here is the trailer:



From The Huffington Post:

 The film is now enjoying a new life as part of an initiative to get students at historically black colleges and universities to talk about a longtime taboo in the African-American community — sexual identity and the church. The initiative is a project of the Human Rights Campaign, an advocate of LGBT equality, and Promised Land Films, the producers of the film. HRC designated $4,000 in grants to bring “The New Black” to so-called HBCUs. To date it has been shown at about a half-dozen schools, including Spelman College, Howard University and Tennessee State University. Chris Smith, an outreach coordinator for HRC, said the grant money covers the screenings and follow-up discussions.