George Rekers, the Baptist minister who rails against homosexuality yet traveled with a rentboy who gave him the “long stroke”, carries the title of “Distinguished Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science” at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He was chair of the Department of Psychology for 19 years, and taught there for 20.
According to his CV [pdf], Rekers has published extensively in secular journals on the topic of childhood sexuality. His tracts have also been published by Christian publishers. Here’s what a Florida judge said about his scholarship:
Dr. Rekers’ testimony was far from a neutral and un-biased recitation of the relevant scientific evidence. Dr. Rekers’ beliefs are motivated by his strong ideological and theological convictions that are not consistent with the science. Based on his testimony and demeanor at trial, the court can not consider his testimony to be credible nor worthy of forming the basis of public policy.
Dan Savage has published the whole opinion, where the circuit court judge in a custody case methodically destroys Rekers’ supposedly “empirical” case against homosexual adoption.
Looking at Rekers’ CV, it’s clear that only Christian universities (Regent and St Thomas) would publish him during the last decade. So why did USC keep him on as a department chair where he could attempt to pack the department with other cranks? His co-author on his Regent University publication was “Director of Child and Adolescent Outpatient Services and Assistant Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science” when “Studies of Homosexual Parenting: A Critical Review” was written. It looks like he didn’t get tenure and moved on, but I wonder how many other slightly less cranky Rekers’ associates are still there.
Is South Carolina so fucked up that their public universities are turning into refuges for minister-professors who churn out junk science? And what about the American Psychological Association? I guess I’m not surprised that they don’t mind having this crank in their organization, since they can’t even pass a straightforward resolution against their members participating in torture sessions.