Antigay psychologist says gays more likely to drink and drive

A psychologist who has been accused of doctoring his research to promote his antigay agenda is at it again, this time with a study that links homosexuality to drunk driving. If you're gay, according to psychologist Paul Cameron, you're twice as likely as straight people to drink and drive. Cameron published those findings in the June issue of Psychological Reports, based on data from the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Susan Cochran is a psychologist and epidemiologist in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 2000 she published a paper looking at alcohol use in people who reported same-sex activity, based on the same data Cameron used. But she did not get the same results. She says Cameron makes inaccurate assumptions. "He's taking people who report same-gender sexual partners and treating them as is they are lesbian, gay, or bisexual. In fact, some of these individuals are, but we know from other surveys that perhaps as many as half of these people, if you asked them, would say that they're heterosexual."

Cochran said Cameron also ignores that drinking correlates with other factors, such as age, income, and place of residence. Those could skew his findings. Cameron claimed the data was suppressed by the government until he personally hunted it down. Cochran said that's ridiculous: "The government didn't cover up any data." In fact, a search of an online database of medical research found more than 300 studies based on data from the annual survey, and a random check of about 50 of those found more than a dozen based on the 1996 data.

Cameron, who directs the antigay Family Research Institute, was expelled by the American Psychological Association in 1983 and censured by the Nebraska Psychological Association and the American Sociological Association for distorting research. He publishes in a minor journal that, unlike prestigious journals, charges authors to print their research and does not reject papers based on objections from reviewers. Though his previous studies have been discredited, they are widely quoted by antigay groups to argue against gay rights. (Neil Savage, Sirius/OutQ)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives

View From the Hill: The End of DADT?
Defense Secretary Robert Gates revealed that lawyers are exploring ways to ease enforcement of the military's gay ban, but cautioned that the law doesn't leave much wiggle room. He need look no further than DOD history for a lesson in altering the policy.

Hot Sheet: Week of July 5
When you get back from that big 4th of July barbecue, unwind with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno and your favorite B-movie-mocking, basic cable robots.

Hungry Like the Wolf
A master of viola, ukulele, piano, and harp, Patrick Wolf is a music prodigy -- one who, the night before this interview, spit on a cop and got himself arrested.

Soapside: Advocate's Guide to Daytime
Forbes March talks about playing gay, Otalia fans outraged, update on One Life to Live’s Patricia Maurceri’s firing over gay plot point, Phillip Chancellor III big reveal, and Erica Kane goes to Africa.

The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
With the federal challenge to Prop. 8 moving full speed ahead, Advocate.com sits down with the two couples named as plaintiffs in the suit.

Mommy, the Gays Are Coming
After a year of advancements and celebration for gay and lesbian Colombians, the community takes to the streets of Bogota for the country's biggest pride ever.

The Pride of Antwerp
Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.

Excerpt: Mean Little Deaf Queer
In an excerpt from her humorous and harrowing new memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer, Terry Galloway recalls her early childhood, describing feelings of ugliness, confusion about gender, and being one of the boys.

Top Political Blogs
From Joe.My.God to The Daily Beast, Advocate.com spotlights a few of the best blogs that cover politics, inside and way outside the Beltway.

The Diva of French Television
A hot young screenwriter who has made gay OK for millions of French viewers, Nicolas Mercier sips champagne, dons a feathered hat, and says he wants to see Colin Farrell and Jude Law go at it.