Lance Bass Comes Out
If you've got teenagers, you probably had to endure the sound of 'N Sync a couple of years ago. Well, those kids who listened to them then are probably big enough now to handle the news that Lance is gay.
Normally not interested in the sex lives of pop stars, but this seemed worth mentioning.
NEW YORK - Lance Bass, band member of 'N Sync, says he's gay and in a "very stable" relationship with a reality show star. Bass, who formed 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, tells People magazine that he didn't earlier disclose his sexuality because he didn't want to affect the group's popularity.
...
Bass says he wondered if his coming out could prompt "the end of 'N Sync." He explains, "So I had that weight on me of like, `Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did."
The singer says he's in a "very stable" relationship with 32-year-old actor Reichen Lehmkuhl, winner of season four of CBS' "Amazing Race."
Bass and Fatone, 29, are developing a sitcom pilot inspired by the screwball comedy "The Odd Couple," in which his character will be gay.
"The thing is, I'm not ashamed — that's the one thing I went to say," Bass says. "I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been my whole life. I'm just happy." Lance Bass of `N Sync reveals he's gay
Normally not interested in the sex lives of pop stars, but this seemed worth mentioning.
posted by JimK at 1:56 PM
43 Comments:
Another proud in the gay advocacy movement. Creative genius comes out. His boyfriend's a reality show star. Imagine that.
Safe sex?
Michael: 'I'm not ashamed of gay cruising'
26/07/2006 - 07:12:58
George Michael is not ashamed of being spotted prowling a notorious homosexual pick-up spot in London last week, insisting he's still a role model for young gays.
The Outside singer was exposed by a British newspaper on Sunday cavorting in the shadows on Hampstead Heath with 58-year-old Norman Kirtland, before he fled from reporters and photographers.
But the former Wham! Heart-throb refuses to apologise for his actions, stressing he's done nothing wrong by cruising.
He says: "I should be able to be what I am to young gay people - which is a man who has managed to succeed in the industry for 25 years.
"Sorry if people don't like the fact I cruise on Hampstead Heath but the police absolutely accept that it goes on at night.
"It's the only place in London where that is the case so it's generally a safe place."
© Thomas Crosbie Media, 2006.
Do gaiety and promiscuity go together like a horse and carriage?
This I'll tell you brother,
You can't have one without the other
Anonymous, ignoring the fact that your an idiot, what would you think of a non-promiscuous gay person?
PB
"Anonymous, ignoring the fact that your an idiot, what would you think of a non-promiscuous gay person?"
Is this a question about urban myths?
Gay author Gabriel Rotello notes the perspective of many gays that "Gay liberation was founded . . . on a 'sexual brotherhood of promiscuity,' and any abandonment of that promiscuity would amount to a 'communal betrayal of gargantuan proportions.'" Rotello's perception of gay promiscuity, which he criticizes, is consistent with survey results. A far-ranging study of homosexual men published in 1978 revealed that 75 percent of self-identified, white, gay men admitted to having sex with more than 100 different males in their lifetime: 15 percent claimed 100-249 sex partners; 17 percent claimed 250- 499; 15 percent claimed 500-999; and 28 percent claimed more than 1,000 lifetime male sex partners. By 1984, after the AIDS epidemic had taken hold, homosexual men were reportedly curtailing promiscuity, but not by much. Instead of more than 6 partners per month in 1982, the average non-monogamous respondent in San Francisco reported having about 4 partners per month in 1984.
In more recent years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has reported an upswing in promiscuity, at least among young homosexual men in San Francisco. From 1994 to 1997, the percentage of homosexual men reporting multiple partners and unprotected anal sex rose from 23.6 percent to 33.3 percent, with the largest increase among men under 25.7 Despite its continuing incurability, AIDS no longer seems to deter individuals from engaging in promiscuous gay sex.
The data relating to gay promiscuity were obtained from self-identified gay men. Some advocates argue that the average would be lower if closeted homosexuals were included in the statistics. That is likely true, according to data obtained in a 2000 survey in Australia that tracked whether men who had sex with men were associated with the gay community. Men who were associated with the gay community were nearly four times as likely to have had more than 50 sex partners in the six months preceding the survey as men who were not associated with the gay community. This may imply that it is riskier to be "out" than "closeted." Adopting a gay identity may create more pressure to be promiscuous and to be so with a cohort of other more promiscuous partners.
Excessive sexual promiscuity results in serious medical consequences — indeed, it is a recipe for transmitting disease and generating an epidemic. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has remained a predominantly gay issue in the U.S. primarily because of the greater degree of promiscuity among gays. A study based upon statistics from 1986 through 1990 estimated that 20-year-old gay men had a 50 percent chance of becoming HIV positive by age 55. As of June 2001, nearly 64 percent of men with AIDS were men who have had sex with men. Syphilis is also more common among gay men. The San Francisco Public Health Department recently reported that syphilis among the city's gay and bisexual men was at epidemic levels. According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
"Experts believe syphilis is on the rise among gay and bisexual men because they are engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners, many of whom they met in anonymous situations such as sex clubs, adult bookstores, meetings through the Internet and in bathhouses. The new data will show that in the 93 cases involving gay and bisexual men this year, the group reported having 1,225 sexual partners."
A study done in Baltimore and reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that gay men contracted syphilis at three to four times the rate of heterosexuals. Promiscuity is the factor most responsible for the extreme rates of these and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases cited below, many of which result in a shortened life span for men who have sex with men.
Promiscuity among lesbians is less extreme, but it is still higher than among heterosexual women. Overall, women tend to have fewer sex partners than men. But there is a surprising finding about lesbian promiscuity in the literature. Australian investigators reported that lesbian women were 4.5 times more likely to have had more than 50 lifetime male partners than heterosexual women (9 percent of lesbians versus 2 percent of heterosexual women); and 93 percent of women who identified themselves as lesbian reported a history of sex with men. Other studies similarly show that 75-90 percent of women who have sex with women have also had sex with men.
This junk is from an article called "The Health Risks of Gay Sex," by a Dr. John Diggs, who writes for the Family Research Council and other extremist organizations. A nice critique of the doctor and, specifically, this article, by Alvin McEwen, can be found HERE.
But more importantly, Anon, I'm getting tired of you using this blog to insult people and distort things. You're coming real close to having all your comments deleted. If you want to discuss these topics here, please feel welcome, we appreciate all views whether we agree with them or not. But do not come here and insult my readers, either directly or by posting crap like this.
JimK
Jim
Just sped-read the article you linked and most of it was more concerned with the risks of gay sex than rates of promiscuity. They did criticize his use of the term "far-ranging" but didn't dispute the stats from the San Francisco area. The paper was from the Catholic Education Network and not Focus on the Family, as you imply. It has references if anyone chooses to look at them.
Your link also said that heterosexuals are just as promiscuous as the homosexuals are portrayed as being by Diggs. Readers can decide that for themselves but isn't it strange to say that the numbers are wrong and then to say, well, everyone's like that. They should really pick an argument and go with it.
Don't mean to insult any individual and apologize if I sucuumb to the temptation of an easy joke but just posting a study shouldn't be considered an insult. As we see, anyone's free to dispute it.
Here's the link if anyone wants to peruse the references for the promiscuity rate section:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/homosexuality/ho0075.html#04
JimK are you saying that you cannot dispute the research don by Dr. John Diggs. Is something in his paper that you find false or misleading? Can you provide evidence that information presented by Dr. John Diggs is false or misleading, and can you provide the source for your challenge to Dr. Diggs work? Or are you in fact acting like a lynch mob which seeks not the truth of what happened, but the destruction of the movement’s enemies? A limitless and bloodthirsty attack on the character of its opponents and enemies.
The previous coment's anon might want to think before he/she speaks.
H.A.
Anon, try clicking on the link I provided.
JimK
link did not work please give website
Jimk do you have any problem with these publications I would not want to offend you by using them.
Centers for Disease Control
The Chicago Tribune
Pediatrics,
Public Health Reports
Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, CDC,
Archives of Internal Medicine
American Journal of Epidemiology,
San Francisco Chronicle,
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Journal of Community Health
British Journal of Venereal Diseases
Sex in America: a Definitive Survey
Science
Fertility and Sterility
Medical Clinics of North America
The Lancet
LGBTHealthChannel
Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics
American Family Physician
Western Journal of Medicine
Archives of Dermatological Research
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
New England Journal of Medicine
American Psychiatric Association
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
National Cancer Institute
National Center for Health Statistics
Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
New York Times
Psychological Bulletin
Pediatrics
The Sydney Morning Herald
H.A. you are such a smart man.
are you realy JIMK?
http://tinyurl.com/n5fgq
It's a pdf file, you need Acrobat Reader to see it.
JimK
My anti-spy ware will not let me go to the web site?
That must make you feel very safe.
JimK
I aren’t scared of you. Just like to see if this is not a bunch of character assassinations that you seem to think is valid scientific scrutiny. If I was scared of you I would not even go to the link.
besides I am a grown man. nothing you would be intrested in.
Did everybody's medicine run out today, or what?
JimK
JimK is that some sort of insult?I'm getting tired of you using this blog to insult people and distort things. You're coming real close to having all your comments deleted.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
now how about the full url
http://webzoom.freewebs.com/
palmettoumoja/
John%20R.%20Diggs's%20lies.pdf
For some reason, Blogger doesn't want to break the lines. Take this and put it back together in a text editor or something.
The tinyurl is a lot nicer, but apparently that technology is excessive for you.
You could also right-click on the original link and select "Properties."
JimK
"This junk is from an article called "The Health Risks of Gay Sex," by a Dr. John Diggs, who writes for the Family Research Council and other extremist organizations. A nice critique of the doctor and, specifically, this article, by Alvin McEwen"
If you'll google McEwen, you'll find he's very involved in gay advocacy groups. Hardly an unbiased observer. Meanwhile, Diggs' paper is referenced to sources widely recognozed as credible.
Alvin McEwen is a member of the Teach the Facts Yahoo group, and I have conversed with him a number of times in email. He has set out to expose the liars, and is doing a good job of it. Your doctor on the other hand is an old-fashioned bigot. I think Alvin deals with him quite well.
JimK
"Alvin McEwen is a member of the Teach the Facts Yahoo group"
says it all
Alvin McEwen is a free-lance journalist who focuses, almost exclusively, on attacking pro-family groups. Can't believe TTF would decry someone quoting Ann Coulter and then go with this guy.
John Diggs is a board-certified internist with years of experience whose paper cites credible sources. Interesting that TTF calls him a bigot when he is an African-American who has no doubt endured bigotry directed at himself.
Who will we believe? A journalist with an apparent ax to grind or a seasoned medical professional?
Here's a response from one individual whose research was attacked by McEwen when it referenced some of the same sources Diggs did:
RESEARCH, NOT BIAS
"Re: Alvin McEwen's letter (under "Not Buying") in Reader Mail's Coulter Design and Robert Seidenberg's Gay Behavior vs. Public Health:
It is Mr. McEwen's letter, and not my article, that is full of distortions. Like so many liberals, he has no facts so he resorts to the tedious cry of "bigotry."
Extreme promiscuity among homosexual men has been documented in numerous studies. In a recent survey of 4,295 homosexual men from six U.S. cities, published in the June 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, participants reported an average seven sex partners in the previous six months; 42 percent reported 10 or more sex partners during that period; and 25 percent reported 18 or more sex partners. These numbers readily correlate with the 1978 Bell-Weinberg lifetime numbers.
I cited the 1978 Bell-Weinberg study "Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women" because it is widely regarded as a "classic" study, is an official publication of the Kinsey Institute, and is frequently quoted by liberals. (So why is it "flimsy" if I use it?) Also, it correlates with a 1983 CDC study that was a factor in the development of the deferral policy. This CDC study of early homosexual AIDS victims found that they averaged almost 1,100 lifetime partners each. Harold W. Jaffe et al., "National Case Control Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia in Homosexual Men: Part 1 Epidemiological Results," Annals of Internal Medicine 99 (2[August 1983]): 146.
While there are surveys which find lower rates of promiscuity, the numbers are still huge in comparison to the general population. For example, a 2003 survey conducted by Gay.com found that approximately one-fourth of the men surveyed had had 100 or more lifetime partners. The average number among the general population is 4.
I wonder if Mr. McEwen is not being disingenuous in his purported unawareness of gay promiscuity, since the subject has been openly discussed by prominent gay writers. I challenge him to find any study of the number of sex partners among gay men which correlates with the numbers among the general population."
The general theme of today's anonypeople is that gays are diseased. I've heard the ones that say we want to steal your children. Anyone want to put forth that lgbt people are poisoning the wells to cause plague?
Thanks for your support, Jim. This stuff makes me too angry to be able to respond coherently to it.
rrjr
Robert, for the longest time I just totally forgot that people like this even existed. It's interesting that this little gang of three or four of them has decided to post comments here almost constantly through the day, day after day. It's not that they're trying to discuss anything, these are just rightwing talking points, it's just white noise to drown out anything else.
As you know, I have no big motivation one way or the other to "support" gay people or get involved in their issues. I have always kind of gone by a "live and let live" philosophy, and while I understood that there were uncomfortable moments, and bigoted people, I never realized how intense this could all be.
You can see, in the media, in listening to teens today, everywhere in our country, that the taboo actually evaporated. Very few people actually care one way or the other if someone's gay, and I think that's the way it should be. But there are some people who, it becomes obvious, have "an issue" with it, and won't let it go.
I'm like you, sometimes this stuff infuriates me. It bothers me that they have pretty much shut down any fruitful discussions here on the blog, but I know how I feel, I feel dirty and unhealthy after dealing with these people -- why would anyone put themselves through that? It's easier just to stay away.
But that's how they win. They make the whole debate so creepy that good people walk away from it.
JimK
"I have always kind of gone by a "live and let live" philosophy,"
I do too, Jim. The issue being discussed here- when you don't change the topic- is what, if anything, should children be taught about homosexuality. What TTF wants taught is not factual but designed to encourage a normalization of homosexuality. The opposition to TTF believes kids should be given an accurate picture of gay life not a liberal fantasy.
"The general theme of today's anonypeople is that gays are diseased."
This is not true, Robert. We're simply discussing whether the average homosexual tends to be more promiscuous than the average heterosexual. Whether promiscuity represents a disease or not is another discussion- hasn't been addressed here the past few days.
Lets see if I got this straight in the TTF world. We should relief on and trust the experts with advanced degrees and in its world some one with an undergraduate degree in English, is better able to discern medical Literature than a Dr. of Medicine? Promiscuous behavior does not spread sexually transmitted disease. Not hat it matters because gay people don’t engage in any other kind of relationship but monogamous. Homosexuals are better parents. Live longer lives, are hipper, and make more money. Deserve special consideration and special federal funding. Any one who apposes this should be denied life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To say anything divergent makes you a bigot even if you are just quoting the NIH or the CDC. Now TTF does not have to prove any of this merely questioning the validity of this statement makes some one a homophobe. I am so glad I do not live in the TTF world.
Wow I thought all the hippies died out in the eighties. It is hard to believe that there are still one or two out there trying to fight the man. Tune in and drop out. Dude. It’s a groovy day. Make love not war. Lets go smoke a joint and have a protest.
Did something happen recently? Did a mental hospital go out of business and put all the patients out? Did some checmicals spill into the drinking water?
Where did all these stupid people come from?
Irritable AEIOU
AEIOU are you with the Autism group.
Anonymous, I am not autistic, nor am I with any group. I follow these discussions when I can, and for the last few days the whole thing has been taken over by really stupid people.
Irritable AEIOU
Irritable AEIOU not Affiliated with AEIOU (Autism Early Intervention Outcomes Unit) it is a charitable organization.
I follow these discussions when I can, and for the last few days the whole thing has been taken over by really stupid people.
Do you think you can take a crack at elaborating on your opinion? Like what do you find stupid. Who do you think is stupid? Is it what they say or how they say it? Could you say it better?
Lance Bass: 'I'm Gay'
In an exclusive interview, the 'NSync heartthrob reveals for the first time what he's known his whole life: He's gay
Thursday Jul 27, 2006
He was "The Shy One." And during the bubblegum pop craze that began in the late '90s, Lance Bass – along with his 'N Sync bandmates Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake – was a pinup boy for millions of adoring fans. But as the group rode the boy band wave – their 2000 smash, No Strings Attached, sold a record-breaking 2.4 million copies in its first week – the Mississippi-bred, Southern Baptist-reared Bass felt burdened by hiding the truth he says he has known "from childhood on": He's gay.
"I knew that I was in this popular band, and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said [that I was gay], it would overpower everything," says Bass, confident and relaxed as he spoke about his sexual orientation for the first time in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE's Marisa Laudadio. "I didn't know: Could that be the end of 'N Sync? So I had that weight on me of like, 'Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did."
Now, after years of keeping his personal life private, the 27-year-old Bass – the son of Diane, 55, a middle-school teacher, and Jim, 56, who works in real estate – is publicly revealing what he first shared with his friends, then his shocked family. "He took years to really think about how he was going to tell everyone," says his close buddy Fatone, 29. "I back him up 100 percent." Adds Bass's longtime pal, actress Christina Applegate: "I've always accepted him as who he is. It's about his own serenity at this point."
Having pursued acting, producing and – most memorably – space flight after 'N Sync went on hiatus in 2002, Bass now is looking ahead to new beginnings. He is in a "very stable" relationship with model-actor-Amazing Race winner Reichen Lehmkuhl, 32, and is developing an Odd Couple-inspired sitcom pilot with Fatone in which his character will be gay. Mostly, though, he's just enjoying the relief that comes with the culmination of a long and at times emotionally fraught journey. "The thing is, I'm not ashamed – that's the one thing I want to say," he explains of his decision to come out. "I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been my whole life. I'm just happy."
When did you first know that you were gay?
I've known my whole life. In my head, I just knew I couldn't do it. You know, "That's just wrong, it's totally wrong." It's so strange because I always knew and dealt with it; it's nothing that was confusing to me. I told myself, "This is what you are. This is the way you were born." I definitely didn't ask to go through this, but I just knew it was something that I would have to hide my whole life.
Why come out now?
The main reason I wanted to speak my mind was that [the rumors] really were starting to affect my daily life. Now it feels like it's on my terms. I'm at peace with my family, my friends, myself and God, so there's really nothing else that I worry about.
Who was the first person you told?
I think a friend of mine might have just asked me. Very few people have the guts to come up to you and say, "Hey, are you gay?" I was 21. I always had relationships with girls until I was 22 or something like that, not too long ago.
Were you just more comfortable with women?
It was just the way it should have been. You know, I love women. I've definitely, you know, been with women. And I've had great relationships with them where I was definitely in love. It's just I grew to a point where deep inside I knew that I could never really truly have a relationship with a woman. I don't know if they ever suspected. It was never brought up. And it was so easy, especially being on the road, because you never got to spend much time together. It was like, "Yeah, that's my girlfriend. Whenever I get to see her, great. We date, we have fun. But I'm always on the road."
Did you tell your bandmates?
No, none of the guys. Some of the guys of course suspected because we were like brothers, so when you're with someone that much, they're like, "Why aren't you hitting on women all the time and acting like a rock star?" Because I was a good Christian boy, that's why.
Do all the guys now know?
Joey was the first to find out. I was at my house in Orlando like five years ago, and I was actually dating someone at the time – a guy – it was the first person I ever dated, which was very strange. I was just in my office and Joey walked in and kind of saw us way closer than friends would be, just standing really close. And he was like, "Oh, sorry!" I knew at that moment that he knew. I told him and he was like, "Dude, I don't care."
So did you reach out to the others?
Chris finally asked me last summer, and I just told JC three months ago. I'm pretty sure they all knew and they all probably talked to each other, but they had the respect to let me tell them. I haven't had the conversation with Justin yet. I know he knows but I've never really sat him down and said it. I will be calling him.
When did you tell your family?
It was very hard. It was something I'd been toying with for probably the last couple of years because I knew I wanted a closer relationship with my family. And for the last few years I was not that close with them just because of this one thing. They could never meet the people that I love. I have a sister [Stacy, 30]. I told her a year ago. I was at her house for Christmas. It was so hard because it took me forever to finally get it out. I finally blurted it. I'm like, "I'm gay." And she started laughing because she thought I was joking. And I was like, "I'm not kidding." And she went white. She immediately started crying and left, and I was like, "Great." She went downstairs, and my brother-in-law, who is the biggest country boy, man of men, she went straight to him. And I was like, "I didn't want Ford to know!" He comes up with her and he was so collected. He goes, "I don't care." And my sister was like, "The only reason I'm crying is because I think it's going to kill our parents."
How did they react?
The worst part about it was my mom found out not from me. She found out on the Internet, and that's what just killed me. She'd read an article about the rumors and stuff and she Googled and found all these things. She went over to my sister's house and was like, "Is it true?" And my sister was like, "Yes, it is." And she broke down and it destroyed her for a little bit.
It really does hurt knowing that they're going to have to live with this back home [in Clinton, Miss.], in a place where it's not looked at very highly. Their biggest concern was the family. And they told their parents – both sets of grandparents are still alive. That's what I was really concerned about because they come from an older generation, Mississippi, Deep South. My mom was really going nuts having to tell them. So she told them last week. And I get a call from my Mimi, my grandma, my mom's mom. She was like, "You know what? I may not agree with it, but I love you just the same and you're welcome in my house anytime." They took it so well.
How about your dad?
His biggest concern was safety. Diseases and that type of stuff. It's so funny because the misconceptions that Middle America has, because they only see that on television. The first thing he went to was, "Well, you know, it's much easier for gay people to get AIDS. Statistics show these relationships don't last. You know it's not going to last." I was like, "Dad, wow!"
Did your mom ask you if you would still go to church?
Yeah, definitely. And I still go to church. I'm still Christian. I was not raised in a Christian church to hate people. I was taught to love people and accept people. I know what I believe.
Tell us about your current relationship.
I'm dating this person, which is very new and I'm loving it. I'm very busy and doing my thing and this is a huge turning point in my life and also in his life too. So we're just taking it one day at a time, and slow, and very supportive.
We're talking about Reichen Lehmkuhl, right?
Yes. [Laughs.] No one's stupid.
How did you meet?
We were friends first. We've been dating a few months. Actually, it's funny, he was my real estate agent. We met through that.
What do you want readers to take away from reading this?
I want people to take from this that being gay is a norm. That the stereotypes are out the window. Being who I am and living my life the last few years and not hiding it, I've met so many people like me that it's really encouraged me. I kind of call them the SAGs – the straight-acting gays. We're just normal, typical guys. I love to watch football and drink beer.
Do you see kids in your future?
Definitely. I'm a family guy, so I would love to have a family; I would love to find that perfect person to have a family with. There are so many kids out there that need to be adopted and need good homes. I definitely want to have my own but I also want to adopt for sure. I think it's very important to find these kids homes.
You seem very at peace.
I am. People always say, "Are you gay?" and I say, "No, I'm also gay." It's one of the many things that make up me. It's something I've dealt with for a very long time. I was in a boy band. I'm used to people talking about me. It's the people around me that I don't want it to affect. But just seeing how my family has reacted, and everyone else, it just makes me so happy.
Lance Bass: 'I'm Gay' and what you all were surprised.
Dear Anonymous,
I read with much interest your attempted attack on my character. I can only assume that you did such because you could not refute anything I said about John Diggs in my report.
Then you reference a response letter written about me by a man who, when the mistakes in his work was pointed out to him, spun conspiracy theories as bad as yours. You failed to show what exactly he was responding to. If you had seen my initial letter, then you would have known that he sidestepped my critiques of his work, much like you just did.
To compare me to Ann Coulter is just wrong because I have never mad a personal attack on anyone. My position is that Mr. Diggs's piece on the supposed sexual habits of gays was filled with errors, some of which are listed below:
Twice, he includes the study done by Alan Bell and Martin Weinberg in their book, Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women, as indicative of the entire gay population. In one passage, he even refers to it as “a far ranging study of homosexual men . . .” But Bell and Weinberg never said that their findings were indicative of all gay men. They actually said “. . . given the variety of circumstances which discourage homosexuals
from participating in research studies, it is unlike that any investigator will ever be in a position to say that this or that is true of a given percentage of all homosexuals.”
Diggs cites the Canadian study twice in order to claim that gays have a shorter lifespan than heterosexuals. But his citation of the study is a mischaracterization. In 2001, the six original researchers (Robert S. Hogg, Stefan A. Strathdee, Kevin J.P. Craib, Michael V. O’Shaughnessy, Julion Montaner, and Martin T. Schechter) who conducted that study have gone on record saying that religious conservatives (like Diggs) were distorting their work.
In another section entitled Physical Health, Diggs claims that gays are victims of “gay bowel syndrome.” The term is an obsolete medical term. exist and even the CDC does not use it. In fact, if one was to look at the endnotes of Diggs’ study, he would find that two of the sources he quoted concerning “gay bowel syndrome” were from articles in published in 1976 and 1983, which is consistent with the years that the term existed. One last source was a letter to the editor printed in 1994 but Diggs does not make it clear as to what were the circumstances surrounding it.
And that my friend just scratches the surface when it comes to Mr. Diggs's deceptions. I removed my report on Diggs from my webpage because I am retooling it for its inclusion in a book detailing religious right deceptions.
And for the record, no credible medical practitioner uses Diggs's work because they recognize it for the propaganda that it is. And while it is true that I am involved in many pro-gay endeavors, that alone should not take anything away from my credibility. To cite it alone as proof that my work is not credible is showing a bias on your part.
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