The Boston Globe ran an excellent story July 31 about religious-right researcher Paul Cameron.

According to the article, Cameron and his “Family Research Institute” — identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center — buy space in the small Montana publishing outfit called Psychological Reports. The Globe says respected professional journals charge no fee and permit peer reviewers to veto submissions with flawed research methodologies and illogical conclusions. But Psych Reports happily prints studies rejected by the pros — for $27.50 per page. And the “peers” may comment but have no veto power. According to the Globe, P.R. editor Doug Ammons said he personally disagrees with much of what Cameron has written but believes he should be published.

Upon getting his propaganda published, Cameron then pays the Christian Communication Network to disseminate his press releases throughout religious-right and social-conservative political networks. CCN operator Gary L. McCullough told the Globe that he had not taken the time to examine Cameron’s research.

These networks seem to know that Cameron’s propaganda is false: When The Boston Globe asked the Traditional Values Coalition about its hosting of Cameron’s propaganda, the TVC “within minutes” removed all references to Cameron from its web site.

But others, including some medical professionals, appear willing to put politics before sound science: The American College of Pediatricians (ACP) is a small group of antigay Bible Belt doctors that split away from the professional American Academy of Pediatrics. ACP board member Bose Ravenel says of Cameron: “I’ve read a lot of his research. It is well done.”

The Globe quotes Cameron describing gays and lesbians and those sympathetic to them as “death marketers” and “death activists. As you see, the Internet has given us far more clout than our limited budget and efforts could otherwise hope for.”

Hat tips: MassResistance Watch, Mass Marrier.

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