Propaganda: Gentle Reader Series #7 Some gay facts

Gentle readers,

As promised, here is another installment in my examination of Mr. Clowes’ anti-gay claims. The next anti-gay claim is this little gem:

“Another recent study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that "... all but 9 of the 48 homosexual men preferred the youngest two male age categories." These age categories were fifteen and twenty years old.”

This was taken from the following study: Zebulon, Z.A. Silverthorne and Vernon L. Quinsey. "Sexual Partner Age Preferences of Homosexual and Heterosexual Men and Women." Archives of Sexual Behavior, February 2000 [Volume 29, Number 1], pages 67-76, p. 73.

First, a bit of context: The study involved 192 subjects (comprised of 4 roughly equivalent groups of gay and straight men and women) who were shown photographs of either male or female faces between the ages of 18 and 60. Participants were then asked to rate their degree of attraction to each face. 

When we read the actual study, guess what we learn? 

First of all, none of the male faces shown to homosexual men and heterosexual women were actually below the age of 18. Got that point? Clowes has misrepresented the study by stating that the age categories were between 15 and 20 years old. Refer to Page 73 figure 1, which clearly indicates that the average apparent age of male faces in the youngest age category was 18.

Moreover, on page 73 of the study it goes on to state that: “Heterosexual men showed a strong sexual preference for young adult (twentyish) female faces and heterosexual women showed a strong sexual preference for somewhat older (thirtyish) male faces, as expected from past studies of heterosexual. The prediction that homosexual and heterosexual men would prefer younger partners of their preferred sex than would homosexual and heterosexual women was confirmed.”

In other words folks, both gay and straight men tend to like them young. There are all sorts of cultural and evolutionary explanations for why this might be, but there are no meaningful differences between the two groups of men.

Now why would Mr. Clowes fail to alert his readers to the finding that regardless of whether or not a man is gay or straight, he gravitates to more youthful faces? Why would Mr. Clowes get all confused about the age of the faces shown to homosexual men and heterosexual women? Why indeed.

Is the intent to simply link gay men to children, and to do so in a way that looks scientific? If so…mission accomplished!

Cheers…Martin

Gentle readers,