This is not to argue that homosexual and bisexual men never molest children. The empirical research does not show that gay or bisexual men are any more likely than heterosexual men to molest children. Herek, a well-known social psychologist who studies and writes about LGBTQ issues on his blog Beyond Homophobia, took a broad look at the empirical research on this myth, analyzing studies on both sides of the claim. Specifically, my colleague German Lopez cited the work of retired University of California Davis professor Gregory Herek, who wrote: “Back in 1977, when Anita Bryant campaigned successfully to repeal a Dade County (FL) ordinance prohibiting anti-gay discrimination, she named her organization ‘Save Our Children,’ and warned that ‘a particularly deviant-minded teacher could sexually molest children.’” The important fact to keep in mind as Spacey’s comments circulate and the news cycle plays out is that there is no known connection between homosexuality and pedophilia.Įarlier this year, Vox researched the topic after former Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos falsely suggested that such a connection is fact. Historically, gay people have often been wrongly portrayed as predatory sexual deviants Because in tying his coming out to alleged sexual advances toward a minor, Spacey has opened the door for people to conflate being gay with pedophilia - an old and pernicious myth that’s long been used by anti-gay groups and individuals to oppose LGBTQ rights. There’s no denying that such headlines are a win for Spacey’s public relations team.
VdJsp2ouBE- realMarkHarris October 30, 2017
When every straight late-shift news editor manages to miss the goddamn point.