A Dunedin Response to St,Matthews' anti-gay statements ...

To: news@dn.anglican.org.nz
Subject: Re: [news] The Nature of Homosexuality

In the conclusion to his document posted yesterday on the Diocesan Newslink, David Booth asserts that ?international research projects?help us to see that the blessing of gay relationships by the church will open, even wider, the gates to a lifestyle that is self-centred, necessarily promiscuous?? -??(p.21).

Many of us know people who are in loving, loyal, committed gay relationships.

So what is the ?evidence? for David Booth?s harsh assessment?

Well, it is a collection of studies and writings based on anecdotal evidence dating from 45 years ago, with the inevitable question about qualitative methodologies from that era: (Hoffman (1968); Aaron (1972); Bell & Weinberg (1978); De Cecco (1981); MacWhirter & Mattison (1984); Michael Pollack (1985).

The only recent study cited, Hoff & Beougher (2010, with a passing reference to Ashford (2007)), describes participants as having consciously sought to avoid basing their relationships on the ?traditionally heterosexual models?, thus predetermining the findings that that their participants preferred ?open??relationships. (Arguably not so dissimilar from the expectations of quite a?few heterosexual people).

The findings cited by David Booth fly in the face of a resolution by the American Psychological Association (1974, and reaffirmed, 2005) which opposes ?stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and violence on the basis of sexual orientation? and supports ?the equal rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals?. The APA is ?concerned about ongoing efforts to mis-characterize homosexuality and promote the notion that sexual orientation can be changed?

(2005) Tensions have been noted between ?values held by some faith-based organizations on the one hand, and those held by lesbian, gay and bisexual rights? and professional and scientific organizations on the other? (Drescher,

2003: Drescher & Zucher, 2006, see below).

7 May, 2012, was the International Day against Homophobia. On that day, PAHO (Pan American Health Organisation), a branch of WHO (World Health?Organisation) issued a strongly worded statement and recommendations protecting the rights and human dignity of homosexual people. ?In the media, homophobia in any of its manifestations and expressed by any person should be exposed as a public health problem and a threat to human dignity and human rights?. (2012).

Drescher, J. (2003) The Spitzer study and the culture wars. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32(5), 431-432

Drescher, J. & Zucher, K.J. (Eds.), (2006). Ex-gay research:Analyzing the Spitzer study and its relation to science, religion, politics, and culture.

New York: Harrington Park Press

Nora Dowse (Dr)

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One wondered how long it would take before some competent authority came up with a stern and rigorous rebuttal of Dr. Booth?s (parish of St.Matthew, Dunedin) collection of pseudo-scientific anti-gay articles from the past. (See the previous article on ?kiwianglo?)

This statement ? below ? ?from the American Branch of the World Health Organisation, quoted here by Dr.Nora Dowse (in response to Dr. Booth) gives some idea of the dangerously out-dated evidence that was quoted by Booth in his initial Dunedin article:

?In the media, homophobia in any of its manifestations and expressed by any person should be exposed as a public health problem and a threat to human dignity and human rights?. (2012).

The derogatory and unhelpful ?research?, as originally quoted by Dr.Booth, is hardly worthy of repetition ? especially in the light of the American ?W.H.O. statement issued above ? and will only serve to continue the fundamentalist attitude to LGBT people whose lives have been blighted by the antedeluvian stance of certain conservative Church bodies. Christian truth is not immune to modern scientific understandings.

Father Ron Smith, Christchurch, New Zealand

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Retired Anglican priest, living in Christchurch, New Zealand. Ardent supporter of LGBT Community, and blogger on 'Thinking Anglicans UK' site. Theology: liberal, Anglo-Catholic & traditional. regarding each person as an unique expression of Christ, and therefore lovable.

Source: http://kiwianglo.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/a-dunedin-response-to-stmatthews-anti-gay-statements/

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