Cameron Cwazey

Paul Cameron's quack homophobic "studies" have been cited as justification for anti-gay legislation throughout America and are used to fuel the fires of hate by preachers and propagandists alike. Another shining example of "faith-based" pseudo-science at work.

SPLCenter.org: The Fabulist

Nearly 600 evangelical Christians packed into the gymnasium of the Calvary Christian Academy in Forth Worth, Texas, to witness a ceremony on a Sunday in June. With a flourish of his pen, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed the first bill while the televangelist at his side praised Jesus.

[snip]

[Ohio Pastor Rod] Parsley heaped praise on Gov. Perry for "protecting the children of Texas from the gay agenda." Then he rattled off a series of shocking
statistics: "Gay sex is a veritable breeding ground for disease," he
said. "Only 1% of the homosexual population in America will die of old
age. The average life expectancy for a homosexual in the United States
of America is 43 years of age. A lesbian can only expect to live to be
45 years of age. Homosexuals represent 2% of the population, yet today
they're carrying 60% of the known cases of syphilis."

The televangelist did not reveal where he got those numbers. He
stated them starkly as facts to be accepted on blind faith. But they
are not facts. They are gross distortions lifted straight from the
pages of pseudo-scientific studies by Dr. Paul Cameron, a crackpot
psychologist and champion of the anti-gay crusade.

[snip]

Cameron himself has been cast out of both the American Psychological
Association and the American Sociological Association. The ASA declared
that, "Dr. Cameron has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented
sociological research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism."

But no matter how low his professional reputation sinks or how
patently ludicrous his findings become (one recent Cameron study
concluded that lesbians are 300 times more likely to die in car
accidents than heterosexual women), the social impact of Cameron's
so-called research far exceeds that of all but a few genuine research
psychologists. Cameron's findings are repeated ad nauseam by lawmakers,
radio talk show hosts, preachers and anti-gay activists across the
country. In 2003, his research was cited by dissenting justices on the
Massachusetts Supreme Court in the case that led to legalizing same-sex
marriage in that state. In 2004, a majority decision by the Florida
Supreme Court that upheld a law banning adoption by same-sex couples
specifically cited Cameron's research as being "consonant with the
notion that children raised by homosexuals disproportionately
experience emotional disturbance and sexual victimization."

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