Investigate editor Ian Wishart It was with a strong stomach that I ventured into the mire of Investigate's "Briefing Room" blog, better known to its detractors as the "Barking Mad Room," focusing on the bizarre parallel universe that its readers inhabit when it comes to same-sex parenting. As with Family First and the Society for Promotion of Community Standards, the Barking Mad Room reported on a single British case where due care and scrutiny of prospective adoptive parents had not been taken in the case of a couple of paedophiles, who then attacked a little boy under their care. More recently, I published an online GayNZ.com article which summarised the actual mainstream findings of skilled forensic paediatricians and developmental psychologists that married straight men dominate the statistics of offenders against small children, whether male or female. I am not denying the seriousness of that particular case, nor that paedophiles should be treated severely, regardless of the gender of their victim. Now, let's look at the weird fantasy world that Investigate's audience inhabits when it comes to that story. I suspect that if it was surveyed, it would largely consist of fundamentalist Christians, male backlashers and conspiracy theorist fellow travellers, often withoutmeaningful access to higher education. If one submitted thesupported findings that there is no evidence-based case to link male homosexuality per se and paedophilia, even "same-sex" paedophilia, they would look stunned, and then their 'intellectual' defensive mechanisms would swing into play. Remember, we are dealing with an audience that predominantly consists of conspiracy theorists here. Within conspiracy theories, it is usually par for the course that one strongly distrusts mainstream professional organisations, evidence-based research and central government institutions, on the basis that it disputes "hidden knowledge" that has been "suppressed." To which we would respond that no, it has not been "suppressed", and that junk scientists are so designated because of the mediocre design of their research methods and distance from actual evidence-based professional consensus, as can be repeatedly demonstrated. Paul Cameron, Judith Reisman and their entourage are disregarded within mainstream governmental and legal contexts precisely because of the above. Ooh no, it's "knowledge," argues the Christian Right and their mates in the conspiracy theorist networks, despite the above. At that point, they then point to secondary sources like right-wing or conservative Christian media outlets who uncritically reiterate junk science drivel because of its origins. However, secondary sources are one thing, and primary evidence-based research is quite another. The fact of the matter is, fundamentalist homophobes and conspiracy theorist wingnuts are immune to the evidence-based reality of research about same-sex parenting- which is that we bring up our kids with good partner and child communication, and that there are no lasting employment or educationalproblems as a result. In fact, sons of lesbian mums have better interpersonal communication skills than straight men, and daughters are less likely to get pregnant and drop out of education young, due to their strong female role models. Investigate does not deal in "knowledge." It reproduces the unsubstantiated fundamentalist prejudices of its editor, who has no relevant professional qualifications and expertise that would enable the objective reader to give him any credence on issues that he chooses to pontificate about. As Richard Long, Warwick Roger and other mainstream centre-right journalists have said, Investigate is an embarrassing right-wing propaganda tabloid masquerading as an 'investigative' magazine. Not Recommended: http://www.tbr.cc/ The Barking Mad Room (Investigate) Recommended: Judith Stacey and Tim Biblarz: "(How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter?" American Sociological Review: April 2001: 58:2: 158-183. Mark Piertzyck: "Homosexuality and Child Sexual Abuse": www.internationalorder.org/scandal_response.html Conspiracy Theories: Mark Fenster: Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture: Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press: 1999. http://www.gayconspiracy.co.uk/ "Gayconspiracy" website Chip Berlet: "Conspiracism": http://www.publiceye.org/rightwoo/rwooZ6-13.html#P266_102099 Susan Harding and Kathleen Stewart: "Anxieties of Influence: Conspiracy Theories and Therapeutic Culture in Millenial America" in Harry West and Todd Sanders (ed) Transparency and Conspiracy: Duke University Press: Durham, North Carolina: 2003. Daniel Pipes: Conspiracy: New York: Free Press: 1997. Michael Barkun: A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America: Berkeley: University of California Press: 2003 Judith Reisman: Indiana University: Rebuttal of Reisman's Attacks on Kinsey: http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/about/contro-03.html http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/about/controversy.html Poppy Dixon: "I'm Ready for My Closeup, Captain Kangaroo" (June 2000): http://www.jesus21.com/poppydixon/sex/kinsey/judith_reisman.html Carolyn Moynihan: A Stand for Decency: Patricia Bartlett and the Society for Promotion of Community Standards: Upper Hutt: SPCS: 1995. Paul Cameron: UK Press Complaints Commission: http://www.pcc.org.uk/reports/details.asp?id=226 Rebuttal of right-wing UK tabloid hack Anne Atkins' attack on UK gay age of consent equality, which cited Cameron as if he were credible. Greg Herek: University of California (Davis): http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_cameron.html http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_cameron_sheet.html [Cameron Biography and Fact Sheet] http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_cameron_survey.html [Criticism of Cameron's "Research" Methodology] http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_cameron_journals.html [Cameron's "Journal" Sources] Rebuttals of Cameron's Paedophile Claims and "Medical Consequences" of Gay Sex: http://www.rainbowallianceopenfaith.homestead.com/PedoMyth.html http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/anti/cameron/medical.consequences.rebuttal.txt Craig Young - 15th September 2007