Anti-Gay Bigot Worried That Jerry Sandusky’s Victims Will Now Turn Gay

Hate group leader Peter LaBarbera is *very* concerned about the victims of Jerry Sandusky in the wake of the Penn State scandal.

Not that they got raped. That’s irrelevant to him. He’s just worried that they might have caught Teh Gay:


How many idiotic statements are in that article? Instead of admitting that Sandusky is a pedophile, which he is, LaBarbera describes him as a “homosexual predator” with an emphasis on the first word… because those two things are synonymous in his warped mind.

Reader @zyxek points out that LaBarbera never applies the same messed-up logic when men rape women:

Obviously (to everyone except LaBarbera), not every gay person was molested, not every molested person turns gay, and not every molester is gay. But his mind is already set, though, so he’ll never look at anything that speaks to the contrary.

David Badash puts it well at The New Civil Rights Movement:

… LaBarbera is only interested in spreading false information, furthering his personal stature as an avowed homosexual hater, and padding his bottom line – this time on the backs of sexual assault victims. One has to ask, has LaBarbera no shame what so ever?

LaBarbera offensively identifies “pederastic molestation” as the cause of homosexuality, leading any logical human being to assume that homosexuals are created by sexual assault, and therefore, every homosexual on earth must in fact be the victim of sexual assault. never mind what all the psychological associations say about homosexuality, a certified hate group President must know best, right?

This line of thinking is clearly false, and LaBarbera, for all his blind hatred, should know better.

That’d require the ability to see past one’s bigotry, a character trait LaBarbera doesn’t possess.

About Hemant Mehta


  • http://twitter.com/mattfreshfield Matt

    I was not sexually abused and I am gay. I was psychologically abused by religious people trying to indoctrinate me, but I’m still an atheist!

    • http://twitter.com/0xabad1dea Melissa E

      Seconded. My brother and I both turned out bi despite not being sexually abused, almost as if there might be a genetic component or something. 

      And we were also both psychologically abused by religion. Seems to be a common theme… 

    • Camille

      My sister and I? Both lesbians. And despite constant psychological abuse (theological abuse?) we both turned out as normal, functioning, adults.

  • http://twitter.com/Sullivan_Smith Kevin Sullivan

    Sadly, as things like this happen, bigots are always going to use situations like it to spread their hateful messages. Thankfully, as the years go by, fewer and fewer people will take these bigots seriously. That’s not to say we shouldn’t stand up to statements like this and those who make them as it happens – but that the more we do, the less power they’ll have in the future.

  • Anonymous

    If being exposed to homosexuality could turn you gay, then not being exposed to it should guarantee you’ll be strait.
    Things don’t work like that.

    • Gyldenkam

      I was never exposed to sex as a child. So now I’m asexual.

      … Well, if that logic holds, it’s disturbing as hell.

  • Jonas Green

    So by LeBarbera’s logic if homosexual molestation causes you to turn gay, hetrosexual molestation should turn someone straight.

    • Nazani14

      This is, in fact, the idea behind raping lesbians.
      This “therapy” is going on in Ecuador, South Africa, and a soundproofed room near you.

  • http://friendlyatheist.com Richard Wade

    World famous psychologist Peter LaBarbera has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and he earned his PhD in Faggot Fear and Loathing from the elite Peter LaBarbera Institute for Self-Aggrandizement. He graduated at the top of his class of one, winning accolades and honors from Dean of Student Peter LaBarbera, and Department Head Professor Peter LaBarbera. His groundbreaking doctoral thesis, titled “Pulling Pseudoscience Out of My Ass” has become a seminal work that is frequently cited and referenced by prominent researchers in Gaybash.  He is listed in Who’s Who in Bigotry, and has authored several papers published in the Journal of Homophobic Demagoguery. Doctor LaBarbera is considered one of the foremost authorities in the burgeoning field of Hate for Fun and Profit.

    • Anonymous

      We need more journalists like you

  • NewEnglandBob

    What happened in the childhood of  Peter LaBarbera that made him be a Class A moron?

    • PJB863

      He clearly was dropped on his head – repeatedly and often.  And, judging from the statements he’s made over the years, apparently from a second or third story window. 

    • Anonymous

      Well, based on his own theory, it would imply he was molested by a moron.


      He went to church and actually believed everything they were saying.

  • Anonymous

    Note the use of the word “many” as the statistic.  “Many” is meaningless statistically without some context, which is often, as in this case, not provided.

  • http://www.facebook.com/AnonymousBoy Larry Meredith

    if pedophilia molestation is likely to turn you into anything, it’s a pedophile.


      Likewise a heterosexual rape MIGHT make one afraid of the opposite sex, and make you turn to the same sex.     Seems like this is all speculation instead of science, and is exactly why I got down on psychology in the “monkey” tread.   Garbage like this is exactly what I was talking about.

  • Aaron Scoggin

    I don’t really get it. I’m a man, and I was sexually molested repeatedly by another man when I was younger. And yet, I’m not married to a WOMAN and I have no sexual attraction to any man. I am supportive of the gay movement, but I would think being victimized by a gay person would cause me to not support them. Therefore, there’s no connection.

  • Kyle S.

    Hemant, one of your fellow Patheos bloggers is parroting LaBarbera’s hateful spew: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bibleandculture/2011/11/10/the-problem-with-pederasty-and-the-penn-state-scandal/

    I’m sickened that Christians would see an atrocious child abuse case as an excuse to mount yet another attack on gay people. They really have no shame.


      At least that guy’s commenters are letting him have it. Seriously shameful that anyone would think that way.

      • Anonymous

        No. It’s two or three people letting him have it – mostly only Tracy – and the rest of the Christian idiots congratulating him for “courageously telling the biblical truth”.

    • Anonymous

      You’re really surprised?

    • Anonymous

      Thanks for that.  I’ve left rather a long comment on the thread myself.  

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OAUXAA362EXWLYVMPJOKLFB5JQ Incipient Madness

    I bet 2-10% will end up gay. The sample size is (mercifully) too small to for a thorough analysis, but a complete survey would yield results consistent with my 2-10% prediction

    • http://twitter.com/Noadi Sheryl

      Actually there’s a not insignificant chance that a higher percentage than that are gay or bi. Why? Because wouldn’t it be in a pedophile’s interest to target young boys who have same sex attraction already? This guy had access to a large number of young boys who were vulnerable through his charity so he could be selective and those who are already conflicted about being attracted to other boys would be even less likely to report it.

      • Kevin Sagui

        A) Chances are the predator neither knows nor cares about his/her victim’s sexual orientation, and B) how many kids know if they’re gay or not before they hit puberty?


          Puberty has nothing to do with it.    One can achieve orgasm way before puberty, and can also be sexually attracted to girls before then too.     In fact, I remember lots of guys in fifth grade who had not hit puberty that were talking about which girls were and were not growing boobs, and it wasn’t a scientific interest.    Being shy I didn’t do this and in fact pretended not to like girls specifically so I would not be teased about it.   I’m sure there were plenty others.


        This is exactly why many boys who have been raped are afraid to come forward.    They will be labeled as gay, or as secretly wanting to be raped.

        BTW, heterosexual boys can and do engage in all sorts of behavior that in fact have nothing to do with sexual orientation, and yet may appear to be homosexual.   

        The acts themselves do not define sexuality.  For example, the rapist Sandusky probably got many of his victims to orgasm regardless of their natural orientation.     Many homosexual men marry and have kids, precisely because men (and women but more easily men) can and do achieve orgasm by mere manipulation.


  • Radioredrafts

    It would be interesting to ask him where the first gay man came from. I can almost guarantee he’d say “The DEVIL made him that way.”

  • Ndonnan

    sorry but im wondering what a sexual assalt case or homosexuallity has to do with being athiest?

    • http://friendlyatheist.com Richard Wade

      Hi Ndonnan, that sounds like a sincere question, so thank you for asking.

      The particular sexual assault case surrounding Mr. Sandusky has nothing to do with atheism or being atheists. Mr. LaBarbera is taking advantage of the notoriety of the case to further his hateful campaign against LGBT people, which he justifies and bases mainly with Biblical scripture. He then tries to give his perfidy more credibility with pseudo-scientific nonsense. 

      Atheists such as Hemant, myself, and many others feel a strong camaraderie with LGBT people because in the U.S. many Christians also use Biblical scripture to justify their slander, shunning, bilious hatred, abuse, and even violence against atheists. So when we see cruelty and injustice perpetrated on LGBT people in the name of religion, or justified using religion, we feel the same outrage that we would feel if we experienced it ourselves, as we often do. 

      Atheists are also gaining inspiration and insight from the efforts of the LGBT community to wrest their civil rights and social acceptance from the failing grip of a society that is bigoted against them in a large part because of religious condemnations of them. They are making headway, and we are learning from their success.


        Great answer.  Addresses him if he is a Christian 90r other theist).   I had the thought he might be an atheist.  It addresses him in that case too.


      What does it have to do with being a Christian?

    • http://nathandst.blogspot.com NathanDST

      What Richard said, and also, just because an incident has no direct connection to atheism, or indirect in the case of LGBT battles and the similarities we see, is no reason to not call out injustice when we see it. 

      Injustice is injustice — no matter who perpetrates it.


    “How odd that people like PeterLabarbera never seem to refer to men who rape girls as ‘heterosexual predators.’”

    How odd that people like you never seem to refer to pale colored Cygnus as “white swans”.

    Actually that’s not odd at all.    When we hear the term “swan” the most common example springs to mind, the white swan, even though there are black swans, and technically the term includes them.   Yet we tend not to think of them.  When we want to identify what is considered the exception we use an adjective and say “black swan”.

    They (an most everyone else including me) refer to the heterosexual rapists as “sexual predators”, not “heterosexual predators” for the same reasons.    They do so because homosexuality is an exception not a rule.    This is very common in language and it’s not just “people like” him who do this.    You should be happy it’s the exception and not the rule.   

    If it were homosexuals that were responsible for most rape then the term “rapist” would likely mean “homosexual rapist” and there would be need for an adjective to identify the exception of heterosexual rape.

    So the term homosexual rapist  is no more odd than using the term black swan.  

    Frequencies matter in communications.    I’m a computer scientist and we purposely design codings of numbers to the things they represent so that more frequently communicated things have shorter number representation.  It’s the natural outcome of the need for economy in language for us to use the shorter phrase “rapist” for the most common type.

    I find it very annoying when people try to make what are perfectly rational language decisions into shibboleths for determining bigotry.    Mainly because such practices misidentify non-bigots as bigots.    It’s actually a form of bigotry in it’s own right just like any shibboleth.   A way of identifying in-group from out-group. 

    Stop it.

    • Philbert

      There’s no need to make the distinction in the first place unless the sexual orientation of the offender is relevant somehow. The point is not the phrase, but the underlying double standard. Heterosexual rape would not be accepted as evidence that heterosexuality is evil, but as soon as someone commits a homosexual rape, it’s immediately seized upon by the haters.

      I know that’s not what the tweet said, but there’s only so much you can explain in 140 chars.


        Of course there were and are valid points.   This is an invalid one, and one that captures innocent victims in its net.      There is a need to make a distinction in order to communicate information about the crime.   I’m not going to bother to explain the obvious behind that. 

    • walkamungus

      @zyxek’s tweet was rhetorical.”Men who rape boys” and “men who rape girls” are pedophiles. Homosexuality and pedophilia are not the same thing, but LaBarbera likes to conflate the two.


        Thanks for pointing out the obvious.   My points still stand.   Using the phrase is not “odd” at all since everyone does it, and in fact it works the opposite since homosexual predator is the exception to the rule.

  • Anonymous

    Every time I see this guy’s last name, I think of Herme’s wife on Futurama. That is actually much more pleasant than thinking about this jackass.

  • Lynn Attison

    The only thing this idiot has shown is that ignorance is catching.

    We all need to “inoculate” ourselves against it. Get an education vaccination and be safe!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DC3JAWQMXSPC765GWASM6WZIFI Richard

    I have a completely different take…

    Does anyone here have empathy for Sandusky? Clearly he was born with a sexual proclivity that lies outside traditional societal norms…yet, when he acts on his desires he is a de facto criminal. Pedophilia is simply another manifestation of sexual orientation.. Keep in mind that homosexuality was considered criminal conduct just a few decades ago…

    Is it less valid than a heterosexual or homosexual lifestyle? If he was born that way…then clearly it shouldn’t be considered abnormal, and he shouldn’t be treated as a criminal.

    It also begs a larger question…there is a significant body of peer-reviewed work indicating that traits such as sexual behavior are a composite of both nature and nurture. Should the environmental components governing such behavior be controlled? If so, who is to judge what behaviors are “right” or “wrong”, and, by extension, what environmental factors should be controlled? If we open this door, then we are opening the door to an active assignment of sexual orientation among our offspring…should we take that role?

    I open this discussion to the board…

    • http://nathandst.blogspot.com NathanDST

      Ok, I’ll bite. IF there’s an innate component to sexual attraction and desire for prepubescent children, such that he has always had that attraction and cannot help it, then perhaps he deserves some sympathy. However, that does not mean he gets to freely act upon that. Such action harms the child, and even if it could be done without harming the child, there are consent issues. I don’t see how a child could reasonably give informed consent to sexual activity with an adult.

      Just because a desire or instinct is innate, does not mean we can freely act upon it. Hypothetically, it could be an extremely deep instinct for someone to kill when angry. That doesn’t mean they get to act on it. Or, just because something is natural, doesn’t make it moral (which is why I never personally use the “it’s natural, people are just born that way” argument in support of homosexual behavior).

      Yes, I’m well aware that a Christian could, and many have, make a similar argument against homosexual behavior. However, they miss the basic points of consent among adults, and harm. 

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DC3JAWQMXSPC765GWASM6WZIFI Richard

        I can agree with your basic take on this, but then we are erecting artificial barriers to behavior based on “morality”—since this forum is dedicated to the viewpoint of atheism, I would assume that morality is an artificial construct based on popular consent, and not an innate set of rules dictating “right” from “wrong”.

        To illustrate….one could construct a scenario in which a population were made up of individuals who share Sandsusky’s proclivities…their “moral code” might well sanction child rape, and as such, that behavior would fall well within their societal norms. The result being that individuals such as Sandusky would be free to act as they fit.

        Do we therefore “draw the line” at pedophilia as “morally wrong” in an absolute sense, or are we still at the mercy of moral relativism?


    Is my browser messed up or did they remove all the comments and the comment button from that article Hemant linked to over at “AmericansForTruth”.

    Seems they don’t want their readers to here the opposition.    Like my pointing out how historically there is a long association of heterosexuality with all sorts of unsavory behavior like child brides, rape, concubines, polygamy, pornography, sex slavery, harems, and chattel.

    • http://twitter.com/mattfreshfield Matt

      Religious crackpots never allow people to criticise their teachings. Luckily, these days, they’re not allowed to execute heretics.

  • Dave

    Sandusky was married. He would probably consider himself straight. I wish people understood that rape is about power, not sex. I am a survivor and I turned out gay, but I can tell you the two are not related. The boys who survived these attacks will have life-long issues as a result but if they are straight, it won’t suddenly make them gay.

  • Just reading up on this case

    aaaaah crap guys. A lot  the comments are christian hate comments. I’m a christian and I hate this guy just as much IF NOT MORE. This idiot is not a christian and should never be associated with one. The situation is about this guy being sick in the head, not what religion he claims to be. and he is SERIOUSLY mentally ill.

    • Anonymous

      That “idiot” is a Christian.  You know how you can tell?  He claims to be a Christian.  There are no other requirements for membership into the club.  He represents his religion as much as any other Christian does.  Don’t like that?  Change it.

      • Straight but not narrow

        Anyone can say they are any religion and say things that are completely idiotic. It doesn’t make the whole religion bad. How is he suppossed to change that this guy is saying he’s a Christian?! Claiming all Christians think or act this way is doing the exact same thing that LaBarbera is doing! You are hating and blaming an entire group of people because of one persons actions. Hate and prejudice is shown in many different forms. People are people and should be accepted no matter what their race, sex, religion or sexual orientation. There are bad people who are gay also but the entire gay community is not bad because of that one person.

        • Anonymous

          Did I say that it made the whole religion bad?  Did I claim that all Christians are self involved, bigoted idiots more interested in scoring points off their chosen object of hate than making the world a better place?  Did I say that Christianity was the only group with asshats for members?

          To be absolutely clear on my opinion of religion and Christianity in particular I view it as a Curate’s Egg.  There are good parts and there are bad parts but the whole is spoiled by the bad.

    • http://nathandst.blogspot.com NathanDST
  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sidney-Allen-Johnson/1135262985 Sidney Allen Johnson

    Except, of course, that the fact is Sandusky is a traditional, orthodox homosexual right out of the greco-roman handbook of pederasty.  Homosexuals hunt. And the boys are afraid to report it…lest others think they are homosexual. Also straight out of the greco-roman handbook for manipulation. Or should I say seduction? Would that make you homosexuals feel better? Homosexuals, being homosexuals, will drive homosexuality back into the penal code. This is a good start. But there will be more…

  • Michelle

    Do you realize as a High School teacher how much infulence you have over young children? You and I both know how unfortunate home situations are right now for kids. We could talk endless about the short comings in their life. They look so much to the adult who gives them the attention and time. Positive or negative can effect them the rest of their life.
    If life is just about what feels good “Just do it” you will be robbing so many of so much. Just  like those who never did the right thing for these young victims. They were greedy and selfish for the schools $$.  So I ask you as an athethist how can you lead the students down a path of promise and direction. What are the right tools to provide? Do you get specific not just lay out the regular quotes. I am sure you think to yourself I know what is right and wrong but where did these ideas stem from?
    As we all  know it is much more difficult to do the right thing but again you must be very specific and ask yourself when I see my students in 20 years at a reunion how will they remeber me and the lessons I taught them, be very careful did I teach them what is right. Since you never know how you will effect someone. Even if you think your intensions are good, how do you know if they were right?  
    You could be the difference between leading a student down a path that could lead to false short term pleasures and regrets or a satisfied, stable, confident, upstanding, example to pass on to future children. Just think about this. . . . . . . . .

    I do have one more question to think about why do they not allow men in the womens locker room? Why do they not allow women in the mens locker room? Is it the opposite sex attraction rule to protect the others from any unwanted attration or attention. Should this rule be asked to gay coaches or lesbian coach who coach the same sex? I am not talking about young children, I am talking about college teams. If its just about the laws of attraction.   

  • Observer

    Priest homosexuals almost have brought down the Catholic Church.   It was well known that for a long period beginning 30-40 years ago, that the Priesthood became 30-50percent  homosexual because they had access to young bogs.

    • observer

      last word should be boys

    • Anonymous

      [citation required]

  • Patty Jackson1

    Being sexually abused or raped as a child DOES have a significant impact on the child’s sexual identity as an adult.  It’s just that you can’t predict which way it will go. Boys have testified that being molested by a man as a child made them think they were gay, or that they “had” to be gay because of their early experiences. On the other hand, my sister in law was molested by her father, and she married a man but later came out as a lesbian.  Instead of loving men, she feared them.  

  • Cichinchin

    I was a teacher for 20 years —- 90% of my gay students WERE sexually abused.. Sorry !! but very valid concern !!!!