Bailey and Greenberg to discuss homosexual eugenics

Bailey and Greenberg announce a defense of their 2001 article on homosexual eugenics,

When: April 28th, 2005, 7.30 pm
Where: Swift Hall 107, the Auditorium of the Psychology Department, Northwestern University.

Now that he is just a regular faculty member at Northwestern again, Bailey has been struggling to get some kind of research program going. He must do this soon if he is to avoid becoming a mere "teaching faculty member" at that research university.

Having outraged the transgender community by publishing bizarrely defamatory queer science in his transphobic book entitled "The Man Who Would Be Queen", and having been sanctioned by Northwestern's administration following the investigation into his troubled work in that area, Bailey clearly has no future in further "research on transsexuals."

Lacking any other research credentials, experience or interests, Bailey appears to have returned to the initial research area of his academic career, namely the study of male homosexuality. He is well-known in that field for, among other things, his writings on anti-gay eugenics (the parental prevention of gay children by genetic selection and abortion).

As the Northwestern investigation neared completion in the summer of 2004, Bailey likely began anticipating the loss of his departmental chairmanship and thus of the need to quickly get some new research going. He then became quietly involved in a research program led by Alan R. Sanders, M.D. entitled the "Molecular Genetic Study of Sexual Orientation". As PI (principal investigator) Sanders' name is widely associated with that project. However, Bailey's participation is not as openly obvious.

During that summer, Sanders and Bailey began trying to find homosexual research subjects for their project by hiring proxies to do recruiting at various gay community events in San Francisco. However, people in the gay community who were aware of Bailey's writings on anti-gay eugenics alerted attendees at the events about those writings and about Bailey's involvement in the Sanders project. We suspected at the time that as this news spread in the gay community, it might begin to interfere with the project's recruitment of the large number of needed participants.

In March 2005, Bailey and one of his graduate students (Gerulf Rieger - a self-acknowledged homosexual man) proposed yet another "homosexual research project". In this project they proposed to obtain old video-tapes of now-gay adults as kids, undoubtedly in order to "prove" one of Bailey's old theories about gay men (namely that they all are "feminine" as young boys). They also planned to recruit lesbians too, presumably hoping to discover that they were all "masculine" as young girls.

However, a serious problem faces this new project: How are Bailey and Rieger going to find gay men willing to become their research subjects? After all, Bailey would be listed as PI on this research and his participation would not be obscured as in the Sanders project.

As part of their effort to recruit gay research subjects, Rieger sent out an e-mail to the Gay and Lesbian University Union e-mail list-serv at Northwestern, announcing the proposed project. The GLUU list-serv reaches about two hundred gay and lesbian students, faculty and staff members at Northwestern. In his message, Rieger refers to this being a well paid study (i.e., volunteers would be well paid as participants), perhaps in hopes that some would participate for that reason.

NU list-serve readers react by reminding others of Bailey's anti-gay eugenics studies:

The oft hostile reactions to his writings, to his proposed new research, and to his participation in Alan Sanders' homosexual genetics study likely began weighing heavily on Bailey.

Bailey and Greenberg announce a seminar to defend their homosexual eugenics paper:

The e-mail exchanges he witnessed on the GLUU list-serve may have finally clued-in Bailey that his anti-gay eugenics writings were increasingly causing gay men to avoid getting involved in his research.

On the other hand, could it be that Bailey and Greenberg simply love the lime-light associated with being in the middle of a "controversy", even if that controversy costs Bailey access to potential research subjects?

From: Alan Sanders [mailto:asanders@northwestern.edu]
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 11:26 PM
To: < LGBT offices at many universities>
Subject: request for help publicizing our study

Dear Sir or Madam:

Our research group is conducting a scientific study entitled
"Molecular Genetic Study of Sexual Orientation". Sexual orientation
is a fundamental trait of great scientific and societal interest.
Understanding the origins of sexual orientation will enable us to
learn a great deal about sexual motivation, sexual identity, gender
identity, and sex differences. Our primary goals are scientific, but
we hope to contribute to greater societal understanding.

We are requesting your assistance in publicizing our study,
particularly to members of your organization who may be potentially
interested participants. Please let us know if your organization
would be able to help us out in one or more of the following methods:

1. Distribution of our brochures to your members - we would be
happy to mail your group as many as needed.

2. Placement of our flier with tear-off numbers on your group's
bulletin boards and other ones, e.g., at local community bulletin
boards, coffeehouses and other similar places - we would mail as many
as needed.

3. Placement of a brief blurb in a newsletter or similar printed
material that your group circulates to members. Material for the
blurb can be similar to that found on the home page of our web site
www.gaybros.com.

4. Posting information regarding our study and hopefully a link
to www.gaybros.com from your organization's website (such as under
your community resources listing - our web site is both for education
and recruitment).

5. Mention our study at your organization's next meeting, to
alert families with two or more gay brothers who might potentially be
interested in participating in this study.

The following is a brief summary of what participation
entails. Our researchers are seeking families with two or more gay
brothers interested in participating in our study. If you, someone
you know, or someone in your organization belongs to such a family, we
ask that you relay our information to them. Participants are
requested to fill out a questionnaire that takes 10-15 minutes to
complete, and to provide a blood sample. Participants will not incur
any expenses and assistance is provided for arranging for collection
of the blood sample. A reimbursement of $5 for completing the
questionnaire and an additional $5 for providing a blood sample is
provided. All information obtained will be kept strictly
confidential.

Please find attached a brochure (pdf) containing further
information regarding this research project, as well as a flier
(pdf). Further detailed information is available at our web site:
www.gaybros.com. If anyone is interested in participating, please ask
them to call us toll free at (866) 364-7571 and provide us with their
name, mailing address, e-mail (if available), telephone number(s), and
best time(s) to call back. If they prefer instead they can fill out
the same information on the brochure and mail it to us, or e-mail the
information to us at malegene@enh.org. In any case, if they have any
questions or would like further information they should contact us as
above.

We know that you might have questions about this study even
after reviewing the information on our website, so to follow-up this
e-mail, we will contact you shortly by telephone or postal mail.
Thank you very much for any support you and your organization may be
able to provide for this study.

Sincerely,

Alan R. Sanders, M.D.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Northwestern University
Director, Behavior Genetics Unit
Center for Psychiatric Genetics
ENH Research Institute

Evanston-Northwestern Research Park
1001 University Place
Evanston, IL 60201-3137
Phone: (224) 364-7560
Facsimile: (224) 364-7570
Email: asanders@northwestern.edu

Hey GLUUlers

Something more uplifting. My new study got IRB approval and of course
we think it is a pretty cool study! It is also a well paid study.
See the ads below. We are looking for gay men and lesbians (as well
as straight people) who have home videos from their childhood and are
willing to share these with us. Basically we are interested to see
if childhood behaviors are linked to whether a person becomes gay or
straight or wether this assumption is a complete myth. All might be
possible. I can't tell you more right now but read the ads and if you
re interested please go ahead and write me or call me in the lab!

With all respect!
Gerulf

Gay men, ages 18 to 40, wanted who have home movies from their
childhood and are willing to be interviewed for a study on the
development of sexual orientation. Participation takes about two
hours. Participants will be paid $40 to $50. Please call Gerulf
Rieger at Northwestern University, The Human Sexuality Lab at 1 847
491 3820. This project was approved by the Institutional Review
Board; project number 0108-016.

Lesbians, ages 18 to 40, wanted who have home movies from their
childhood and are willing to be interviewed for a study on the
development of sexual orientation. Participation takes about two
hours. Participants will be paid $40 to $50. Please call Gerulf
Rieger at Northwestern University, The Human Sexuality Lab at 1 847
491 3820. This project was approved by the Institutional Review
Board; project number 0108-016.

-----------------
Gerulf Rieger, Square-Master
Department of Psychology
Northwestern University
2029 Sheridan Rd
Swift Hall #102
Evanston, IL 60208
Tel: 1 847 491 3820
Fax: 1 847 491 7859

From: Graham Herrick <herrick@math.northwestern.edu>
Date: March 18, 2005 12:41:11 PM CST
To: gluu@listserv.it.northwestern.edu
Subject: Re: Home videos wanted!

Hi,

Please do not participate in this research and do not forward these
ads!

The ultimate goal of this research is the promotion of eugenics and
perhaps, ultimately, the attempted extermination of queer people
(including, incidentally, Gerulf himself, once he loses political
control over what he imagines he's doing, and provided he doesn't
someday learn self-acceptance).

If you doubt this, please email me and I will send further info, in
Bailey's own words. It's quite explicit. See e.g. "Parental Selection
of Children's Sexual Orientation" by Greenberg and Bailey in "Archives
of Sexual Behavior" 30(4):2001, in which they argue that eugenic
selection of heterosexuality, based on genetic profiling, is "morally
acceptable".

If interested, also check out books about the ideological character of
such research such as "Racial Hygiene: Medicine Under the Nazis" by
Robert Proctor. And look at books about the ultimate effects of this
research, once incorporated into the political apparatus of the
"homeland", such as "The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against
Homosexuals" by Robert Plant.

Lest you think that I'm making spurious historical comparisons, for
information about Bailey's connections to hard-right racists and
anti-semites, see the Winter 2003 issue of the Southern Poverty Law
Center's "Intelligence Report". This has information about the "Human
Biodiversity Institute". Its members also include Jean-Phillippe
Rushton, a "researcher on black genetic inferiority" and president of
the hate group "Pioneer Fund", Charles Murray, co-author of the racist
book "The Bell Curve", and Kevin MacDonald, who writes classically
anti-semitic screeds about Jewish "strategies to subvert
'Euro-American' culture".

Bye,

Graham

From: Gerulf Rieger <gerulf@northwestern.edu>
Date: April 6, 2005 6:45:35 PM CDT
To: gluu@listserv.it.northwestern.edu
Subject: Discussion group with Mike Bailey and Aaron Greenberg, April 28
Reply-To: gerulf@northwestern.edu

Hello GLUUlers

I am very proud to announce that my advisor J Michael Bailey and his
colleague Aaron Greenberg have kindly agreed to participate in a
discussion group on their paper "Parental Selection of Children’s
Sexual Orientation". This paper has, besides Mike's book, stirred up
some emotions, just as it has in the recent past here on the GLUU
list-serve.

You might love or hate this paper or Michael Bailey's research, but
in any case I think people should have the opportunity to be correctly
informed about both. That is, I am glad to organize this event
because I want to establish a dialog. Mike and Aaron are reasonable
people and they will listen to reason. Thus, I would very much like
you all to come and bring your friends, if they are interested. I also
encourage you to read the actual paper, which I have attached.

When: April 28th, 2005, 7.30 pm
Where: Swift Hall 107, the Auditorium of the Psychology Department
Some food will be provided.

I can imagine that this message and the attached paper will cause some
discussions on this list-serve before the actual event takes place.
Please forgive me if I won't participate in these. I think that the
actual event on the 28th will be the best opportunity to address all
upcoming issues.

All the best!
Gerulf
[attached pdf of paper]

-----------------
Gerulf Rieger, Square-Master
Department of Psychology
Northwestern University
2029 Sheridan Rd
Swift Hall #102
Evanston, IL 60208
Tel: 1 847 491 3820
Fax: 1 847 491 7859

Satirical e-mail response to the

Bailey-Greenberg announcement:

From: "Graham Herrick" <herrick@math.northwestern.edu>

To: <gluu@listserv.it.northwestern.edu>

Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 2:27 PM

Subject: announcement

Hallo!

It is with great honor and pride (for myself, as well as for our
homeland) to announce a discussion about the following topic:

Should redneck psychology professors be sterilized to protect society?

Emotions run high about this issue, but let's try not to become totally
hysterical!

We promise to present BOTH SIDES of the debate, in the spirit of
liberal academia and free, fair, and open discussion. After all, the
question of whether some people's lives should be devalued, and whether
some types of people are worth more than others, is something we can
all discuss calmly and rationally.

I look forward to seeing all of you there! I regret that I will not be
able to engage in further debate about this important topic before the
event, since I'm above that kind of thing, and as a novice
psychologist, I'm more interested in studying your reactions to this
announcement.

For the rednecks among you: I'm sure you will all turn out in great
numbers to debate whether or not your lives are worth living!

Auf wiedersehen!