Outrageous LTTE in today's Cincy Enquirer: Dr. says gays are "mutants"

[theHandpuppet]

(Note: I rarely do this, but I did cross post this to the GLBT forum as well.)

Gay isn't normal, no matter who says
Your voice: Dr. Daniel W. Nebert

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060314/EDIT02/603140333/1090

I agree with Peter Bronson's assessment of "The slippery slopes of Brokeback Mountain" (Feb. 26), echoed by Charles Krauthammer's thoughts regarding another movie ("'Syriana' reeks with betrayal," March 3). This is simply more of Hollywood's agenda to push the secular-progressive movement: "Let's give that movie Oscar nominations in many categories, just to make a political point."

Genetically and evolutionarily speaking, homosexuality is not normal - no matter how Hollywood and other secular progressives wish to spin it. "Normality" (in genetic or evolutionary terms) is defined as reproductive success that leads to future healthy generations of the species. Sexual orientation, as well as courtship behavior, is regulated in the fruit fly by Fruitless, a gene that functions specifically in the brain. Fruitless mutants show aberrant mating behavior. Many fru mutations result in male flies that court indiscriminately. When fru mutant males are grouped together, they form male-male courtship "chains" in which each male is simultaneously both courting and being courted; all mutant combinations show some male-male "chaining."

(snipping)
As with any other biological defect, the risk of homosexuality reflects the combination of multiple mutated genes plus environmental factors. In the case of human homosexuality, "the environment" is likely to be an imbalance of sex steroid levels at some critical point during pregnancy, affecting the fetal brain, most likely in the third trimester.

MORE...

The author of this LTTE: Dr. Daniel W. Nebert is a professor in the Department of Environmental Health, Center for Environmental Genetics and Department of Pediatrics & Molecular Developmental Biology at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

So this doctor is also a professor, huh?

[BOSSHOG]

1. The Doc needs to do some parsing

and whittle his message down. Kinda hard for the zealots to use that as a one sentence talking point, let alone memorize it, let alone know what it means. Those wacky doctors pushing their agendas because someone with a bible is holding a gun to their heads.

The Hollywood agenda; Brokeback Mountain, Syriana and don't forget Good Night and Good Luck, all based on facts. Hollywood and its fact based agenda. No wonder those who only believe have a hard time with it.

[theHandpuppet]

3. No doubt he'll soon been booked for a 700 Club appearance

Fundie homophobes just love it when they can find scientific and medical "authorities" such as this to back up their gay-hating.

[ET Awful]

2. So Dr. Nebert (and I use that term very loosely), if, as you assert,

homosexuality is a "biological defect", what then is your issue with it?

Now, I completely disagree with your premise, but for arguments sake, let's say it's a valid theory. If you truly feel that way, would you object to say a movie about someone with Downs Syndrome? How about someone with spina bifida?

This is simply another ill-thought way for you to bash gay people and try to use pseudo-science to accomplish your goal.

Wouldn't your theory, if true, give lie to the argument you and your ilk have used for years that homosexuality is a choice?

In short Nebert, you're an idiot.

[HereSince1628]

4. The guy is a great example of how "scientific" conclusions are subject

to pre-existing personal and societal biases. Start with the purpose of keeping your prejudices intact and then use what appears to be erudite language and laboratory imagery to cloak them in credibility.

His views would better reflect the role of sexual behavior in primates if he read Van der Waals.

[BlackHeart]

5. Reminds me what a righty said to me awhile ago

When the subject of gays being born gay came up he said "So it's like a birth defect?".
What a loser.

[Ian David]

6. EVERYONE is a mutant

That's how Evolution works.

We are all mutants.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. When I was a kid, they all said homosexuality is unnatural

That argumemnt was absolutely destroyed by the empirical evidence that showed homosexuality to exist in damn near every species, and further evidence to show that it was only the human that practiced exclusive heterosexuality or exclusive homosexuality (it seems exclusive heterosexuality is unnatural, in other words). So now, they deploy some twisted evolutionary argument. Here's a clue: neither exclusive heterosexuality nor exclusive homosexuality are "natural." They are social creations.

[iamahaingttta]

8. Interesting...

I've long thought that homosexuality was one of nature's ways of saying "There are too many people on the planet, stop breeding so much!"

War is another...

[meegbear]

9. Holy Mengele Batman!

Biological defects? Imagine what he thinks about the ones being born with a cleft lip.

Sicko.

[LisaL]

10. So, the guy is saying it's not a choice.

But most of you seem to have a problem with that? WTF is in the article that you object to?
Now you think it's a choice?

[theHandpuppet]

12. Um... don't you find the semantics a little interesting?

Not to mention the outright political bias?

Like this:

I agree with Peter Bronson's assessment of "The slippery slopes of Brokeback Mountain" (Feb. 26), echoed by Charles Krauthammer's thoughts regarding another movie ("'Syriana' reeks with betrayal," March 3). This is simply more of Hollywood's agenda to push the secular-progressive movement: "Let's give that movie Oscar nominations in many categories, just to make a political point."

Or this:

Genetically and evolutionarily speaking, homosexuality is not normal - no matter how Hollywood and other secular progressives wish to spin it.

Or this:

As with any other biological defect, the risk of homosexuality ...

The LTTE is full of this crap. That's the "WTF" as you so put it, to which some of us object.

[Skinner]

13. Um, gee, I don't know...

...perhaps we object to the fact that the author is characterizing gays as abnormal. :shrug:

[Deja Q]

11. Someone been watching "X-Men" just a little too much?

:rofl:

[theHandpuppet]

14. Liberals sit around contemplating their navels

At least according to the good doctor they do.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050115/EDIT02/501150339/1021/EDIT

Sheesh, how would you like to be a progressive or gay student in one of Herr Doktor's classes?

[sinkingfeeling]

15. Well, at least it's not a 'lifestyle decision'! He does admit that

homosexuality might be caused by mutated genes or imbalances during pregnancy, which infers that people are naturally born homosexual.

[theHandpuppet]

16. No, we're just mutants with a biological defect....

... according to Herr Doktor. I wonder what his "final solution" is for these defective humans? If his other LTTEs are any indication, I shudder to think.