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W E D N E S D A Y , J U L Y 0 6 , 2 0 0 5Bisexuality Study: NYT Gives Prominence ToDisgraced Researcherby Michael in New York on
7/06/2005 11:38:00 AMEveryone is probably familiar with this New York Times articleabout a study on bisexuality. It was one of the top five emailedstories on the NYT website and probably got picked up aroundthe country. I ignored it at first because a casual glance at thestudy and its methodology led me to conclude it was shoddyand suspect. At best, it seemed like the typical mainstreampress distortion of research: one little study makes one littleobservation and it gets trumpted around the country as a"fact," in this case the idea that men aren't bisexual, they'rejust either gay, straight, or lying.You would think, you would hope that the New York Timeswould do a little research of its own before splashing the workof Dr. J. Michael Bailey, a professor of psychology atNorthwestern and the study's lead author. But no. It tookthreader Kathleen to alert me to what the NYT should haveknown before presenting this study uncritically.1. Dr. J. Michael Bailey had to step down from thechairmanship of the psychology dept. at Northwestern just lastyear because of ethics charges related to earlier research.2. Bailey has been linked to a racist, neo-eugenics movementcalled the Human Biodiversity Institute by the SouthernPoverty Law Center3. Bailey's previous attention-getter was a book ontransgenders that extrapolated from about nine transgendershe claimed to befriend into a study. Many of the people profiledclaimed convincingly they had no idea they were part of aresearch study. (A violation of ethics.) One claimed Bailey sleptwith them. (Also a violation.) Though ostensibly science, itcontained no footnotes. This book led to the investigation ofBailey that resulted in his stepping down as chair, though heremains a professor at Northwestern. The Chronicle of HigherEducation profiled Bailey and the controversy, all but labelinghim as a closet case.4. Bailey claims to be gay-friendly but is so at odds with theGLBT community at Northwestern that campus groups urgepeople NOT to cooperate with his studies. Gee, think that mightmake any research he does there harder to accept as valid?(Bailey has reportedly found it difficult to recruit people forhis research.) The Chicago Free Press paints a rather sadpicture of Bailey trying to convince people he isn't anti-gay orbiased by calling for a public meeting virtually no one attended,just weeks before the New York Times would treat his latestresearch as front-page of the Science section newsworthy.5. Some of Bailey's more silly and offensive comments thatshould raise red flags for anyone wondering about his bias:most transexuals are "especially motivated" to shoplift and"especially suited to prostitution." Bailey says that if it becamepossible to genetically identify a fetus as "gay" and a parentchose to abort because they wanted a straight child, this wouldbe "morally neutral." Yep, gay eugenics. Aborting gay fetuseswouldn't do anyone harm, he says. He's not anti-gay, just
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7/06/2005 11:38:00 AMEveryone is probably familiar with this New York Times articleabout a study on bisexuality. It was one of the top five emailedstories on the NYT website and probably got picked up aroundthe country. I ignored it at first because a casual glance at thestudy and its methodology led me to conclude it was shoddyand suspect. At best, it seemed like the typical mainstreampress distortion of research: one little study makes one littleobservation and it gets trumpted around the country as a"fact," in this case the idea that men aren't bisexual, they'rejust either gay, straight, or lying.You would think, you would hope that the New York Timeswould do a little research of its own before splashing the workof Dr. J. Michael Bailey, a professor of psychology atNorthwestern and the study's lead author. But no. It tookthreader Kathleen to alert me to what the NYT should haveknown before presenting this study uncritically.1. Dr. J. Michael Bailey had to step down from thechairmanship of the psychology dept. at Northwestern just lastyear because of ethics charges related to earlier research.2. Bailey has been linked to a racist, neo-eugenics movementcalled the Human Biodiversity Institute by the SouthernPoverty Law Center3. Bailey's previous attention-getter was a book ontransgenders that extrapolated from about nine transgendershe claimed to befriend into a study. Many of the people profiledclaimed convincingly they had no idea they were part of aresearch study. (A violation of ethics.) One claimed Bailey sleptwith them. (Also a violation.) Though ostensibly science, itcontained no footnotes. This book led to the investigation ofBailey that resulted in his stepping down as chair, though heremains a professor at Northwestern. The Chronicle of HigherEducation profiled Bailey and the controversy, all but labelinghim as a closet case.4. Bailey claims to be gay-friendly but is so at odds with theGLBT community at Northwestern that campus groups urgepeople NOT to cooperate with his studies. Gee, think that mightmake any research he does there harder to accept as valid?(Bailey has reportedly found it difficult to recruit people forhis research.) The Chicago Free Press paints a rather sadpicture of Bailey trying to convince people he isn't anti-gay orbiased by calling for a public meeting virtually no one attended,just weeks before the New York Times would treat his latestresearch as front-page of the Science section newsworthy.5. Some of Bailey's more silly and offensive comments thatshould raise red flags for anyone wondering about his bias:most transexuals are "especially motivated" to shoplift and"especially suited to prostitution." Bailey says that if it becamepossible to genetically identify a fetus as "gay" and a parentchose to abort because they wanted a straight child, this wouldbe "morally neutral." Yep, gay eugenics. Aborting gay fetuseswouldn't do anyone harm, he says. He's not anti-gay, just
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Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list. Today's...1 hour ago
EschatonOvernight - Folk On. Newish.1 hour ago
Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Open Thread below...1 hour agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bisexua...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/bisexuality-study-nyt-giv...
1 of 57/23/09 1:28 AM
Visit ourAMERICAblog TV site.see all 323 videos >I collect with
vodpod
In honor of SenatorDeMint
For the GOPers, healthcare is politics. They just
Traditional media has todebunk the birthers
One small step...
The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, inAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bisexua...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/bisexuality-study-nyt-giv...
2 of 57/23/09 1:28 AM
The TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)1 hour agoEzra KleinTab Dump5 hours agoWonk RoomSen. Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’7 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .8 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
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Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
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Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bisexua...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/bisexuality-study-nyt-giv...
4 of 57/23/09 1:28 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bisexua...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/bisexuality-study-nyt-giv...
5 of 57/23/09 1:28 AM