Gay group Truth Wins Out (TWO) is
spearheading a campaign to keep Focus on the Family founder James
Dobson out of the Radio Hall of Fame. The group claims Dobson's
strident homophobia should make him ineligible for such an honor.
The group, headed by Anything But
Straight author Wayne Besen, is best known for taking on the
“ex-gay” movement. Its opposition to Dobson's nomination comes
as no surprise – the group considers Dobson a leading anti-gay
figure.
“It is outrageous and insulting that
James Dobson would be nominated for the Radio Hall of Fame,” said
Besen in a prepared statement. “We believe that character counts
and nominees should have careers based on honesty and integrity –
not discrimination, distorting research and outright lying.”
Besen's newest website, found at
respectmyresearch.org, is dedicated to researchers who say Dobson
deliberately distorted their research to fit his anti-gay agenda.
TWO says at least seven researchers have accused Dobson of
manipulating or cherry picking their results.
Yet, it is Dobson's ministry Love
Won Out that Besen finds most emblematic of the problems with
his nomination. The ministry seeks to cure gays and lesbians from
their same-sex attractions through religious means. Reparative
therapy has been controversial since most mainstream mental health
associations have conclusively stated that it does not work.
Focus on the Family reacted to TWO's
campaign by issuing a statement on their website. “This attack is
yet more evidence of why Dr. Dobson deserves a spot in the Radio Hall
of Fame,” said Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media and
public relations. “For 32 years, he has been willing to take the
unfriendly fire of the Wayne Besens of the world because that is the
price to be paid for championing family values and defending biblical
principles in the public square.”
On the net: TWO's website at
www.truthwinsout.org;
Focus on the Family's website at www.focusonthefamily.com