Saturday, August 4, 2012
Intelligence Study Links Low I.Q. To Prejudice, Racism, Conservatism
The study, published in Psychological Science, showed that people who score low on I.Q. tests in childhood are more likely to develop prejudiced beliefs and socially conservative politics in adulthood.
I.Q., or intelligence quotient, is a score determined by standardized tests, but whether the tests truly reveal intelligence remains a topic of hot debate among psychologists.
Dr. Gordon Hodson, a professor of psychology at the university and the study's lead author, said the finding represented evidence of a vicious cycle: People of low intelligence gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, which stress resistance to change and, in turn, prejudice, he told LiveScience.
Why might less intelligent people be drawn to conservative ideologies? Because such ideologies feature "structure and order" that make it easier to comprehend a complicated world, Dodson said. "Unfortunately, many of these features can also contribute to prejudice," he added.
Dr. Brian Nosek, a University of Virginia psychologist, echoed those sentiments.
"Reality is complicated and messy," he told The Huffington Post in an email. "Ideologies get rid of the messiness and impose a simpler solution. So, it may not be surprising that people with less cognitive capacity will be attracted to simplifying ideologies."
But Nosek said less intelligent types might be attracted to liberal "simplifying ideologies" as well as conservative ones.
Eyes Reveal Sexual Orientation
Pupil dilation is an accurate indicator of sexual orientation, a new study finds. When people look at erotic images and become aroused, their pupils open up in an unconscious reaction that could be used to study orientation and arousal without invasive genital measurements.
The new study is first large-scale experiment to show that pupil dilation matches what people report feeling turned on by, said study researcher Ritch Savin-Williams, a developmental psychologist at Cornell University.
"So if a man says he's straight, his eyes are dilating towards women," Savin-Williams told LiveScience. "And the opposite with gay men, their eyes are dilating to men."
The eyes have it
The link between pupil size and arousal goes way back. In 16th-century Italy, women would take eye drops made from the toxic herb Belladona, which kept their pupils from constricting and was thought to bestow a seductive look.
In fact, Savin-Williams said, the pupils dilate slightly in response to any exciting or interesting stimulus, including a loved one's face or a beautiful piece of art. The dilation is a sign that the autonomic nervous system — the system that controls involuntary actions like pulse and breathing — is ramping up.
Traditionally, researchers have studied arousal and sexual orientation by asking volunteers to watch erotic movies or pictures while attached to instruments that measure blood flow to the genitals. For men, this involves a circumference measurement of the penis, while women use a probe that measures pressure change in the blood vessels of the vaginal walls.
These measurements have drawbacks, Savin-Williams said. Some people can suppress their genital arousal, or simply don't have genital responses in a laboratory environment. And then there's the invasiveness issue.
"Some people just don't want to be involved in research that involves their genitals," Savin-Williams said.
Simply asking people if a given stimulus turns them on or not is equally problematic, as people may be ashamed to admit their desires or even deny them to themselves. It's also difficult to ask direct questions about sexual orientation in many cultures, Savin-Williams said. [5 Myths About Gay People, Debunked]
Measuring arousal
To get around these issues, Savin-Williams and his colleague Gerulf Rieger, also of Cornell University, turned to the pupils. They recruited 165 men and 160 women, including gay, straight and bisexual participants. These volunteers watched separate one-minute videos of a man masturbating, a woman masturbating and neutral landscape scenes. The videos were all matched for brightness so that differences in light wouldn't skew the results.
A gaze-tracking camera recorded the pupils during these videos, measuring tiny changes in pupil size. People also reported their own feelings of arousal to each video.
The results showed that pupil dilation matches the pattern seen in genital arousal studies. In men, this pattern is generally straightforward: Straight men respond to sexual images of women, and gay men respond to sexual images of men. Bisexual men respond to both men and women.
In women, things are more complex, Savin-Williams said. Gay women show more pupil dilation to images of other women, similar to the pattern seen in straight men. But straight women dilate basically equally in response to erotic images of both sexes, despite reporting feelings of arousal for men and not women. [6 Gender Myths Busted]
This doesn't mean that all straight women are secretly bisexual, Savin-Williams warned, just that their subjective arousal doesn't necessarily match their body's arousal. Sex researchers aren't sure why this happens. One theory is that because women have been at risk of being raped throughout history, they evolved to respond with lubrication to any sexual stimulus, no matter how unappealing. This idea holds that women who did so were less likely to experience trauma or infection after sexual assault, making it more likely that they would survive to pass on their genes.
The researchers detail their findings today (Aug. 3) in the journal PLoS ONE. The next step, Savin-Williams said, is to look at pupil measurements and genital measurements at the same time, to test how well they correspond.
Eventually, he said, this technology could be used to conduct cross-cultural studies of sexuality, given that pupil dilation is universal and doesn't depend on labels of sexual orientation that may not translate across all languages. The method could even be used to help people who are confused about their sexuality sort through their desires, Savin-Williams said.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Must Be Friday, Because Ulf Is Horny
In my book Danell Leyva is the perfect boi toy and I'd love being the one too toy with him.
Zircon encrusted tweezers as nipple clamps, my favorite ball gag stuffed in his mouth and him rope bound and trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey naked on the bench in my playroom.
After hours of edging this little cutey and some deep tongue drilling butt sucking man pussy play, I'd punch fuck this little bitches ass like there was no tomorrow, breeding then sucking the juice from his ass and spit feeding it to him before pulling and brutally twisting his nuts until he shot his load (at my command) and forcing him to lick up every drop.
Obama appoints gay man Under Secretary of the Air Force
According to the U.S. Air Force Web site, the Under Secretary for the Air Force is responsible for “the organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of…more than 333,000 active duty men and women, 178,000 Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve members, 182,000 civilians, and their families.” The under secretary serves as the Chief Management Officer of the Air Force, its senior energy official, and the focal point for space within Air Force Headquarters, according to the web site.
“I am honored by the President’s announcement, and look forward to working with the Congress and continuing to serve the Department of Defense during the confirmation process,” said Fanning, whose nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
5 Myths About Homosexuality...
Animals are all straight
Despite a popular perception that male-female pairings are the only
"natural" way, the animal kingdom is actually full of examples of
same-sex couples. Penguins, dolphins, bison, swans, giraffes and
chimpanzees are just a few of the many species that sometimes pair up
with same-sex partners.
Researchers are still mulling over the evolutionary reason, if any, for gay animal sex, since it doesn't produce offspring. Some ideas are that it helps strengthen social bonds or encourages some individuals to focus their resources on nurturing their nieces and nephews, thus boosting their own genes indirectly.
Or, it may simply be fun. "Not every sexual act has a reproductive function," said Janet Mann, a biologist at Georgetown University.
Researchers are still mulling over the evolutionary reason, if any, for gay animal sex, since it doesn't produce offspring. Some ideas are that it helps strengthen social bonds or encourages some individuals to focus their resources on nurturing their nieces and nephews, thus boosting their own genes indirectly.
Or, it may simply be fun. "Not every sexual act has a reproductive function," said Janet Mann, a biologist at Georgetown University.
Gay relationships don't last
Another stereotype is that gay relationships aren't as real or
long-lasting as heterosexual ones.
Research has found that to be untrue. Long-term studies of gay couples indicate that their relationships are just as stable as straight pairings.
"There is considerable evidence that both lesbians and gay men want to be in strong, committed relationships [and] are successful in creating these partnerships, despite difficulties created by social prejudice, stigma, and the lack of legal recognition for same-sex relationships in most parts of the U.S.," said UCLA psychologist Anne Peplau, co-author of a book chapter on the subject published in the 2007 Annual Review of Psychology.
For example, John Gottman, a University of Washington emeritus professor of psychology, and his colleagues collected data from homosexual couples across 12 years, and found that about 20 percent had broken up over that time. That rate projected over a 40-year period is slightly lower than the divorce rate for first marriages among heterosexual couples over the same time span, according to the study published in 2003 in the Journal of Homosexuality.
"The overall implication of this research is that we have to shake off all of the stereotypes of homosexual relationships and have more respect for them as committed relationships," Gottman said.
In fact, the same study found that gay couples tend to be better at resolving conflicts and encouraging positive emotions.
Research has found that to be untrue. Long-term studies of gay couples indicate that their relationships are just as stable as straight pairings.
"There is considerable evidence that both lesbians and gay men want to be in strong, committed relationships [and] are successful in creating these partnerships, despite difficulties created by social prejudice, stigma, and the lack of legal recognition for same-sex relationships in most parts of the U.S.," said UCLA psychologist Anne Peplau, co-author of a book chapter on the subject published in the 2007 Annual Review of Psychology.
For example, John Gottman, a University of Washington emeritus professor of psychology, and his colleagues collected data from homosexual couples across 12 years, and found that about 20 percent had broken up over that time. That rate projected over a 40-year period is slightly lower than the divorce rate for first marriages among heterosexual couples over the same time span, according to the study published in 2003 in the Journal of Homosexuality.
"The overall implication of this research is that we have to shake off all of the stereotypes of homosexual relationships and have more respect for them as committed relationships," Gottman said.
In fact, the same study found that gay couples tend to be better at resolving conflicts and encouraging positive emotions.
Most pedophiles are gay
An especially pernicious myth is that most adults who sexually abuse
children are gay. A number of researchers have looked at this question
to determine if homosexuals are more likely to be pedophiles
than heterosexuals, and the data indicate that's not the case.
For example, in a 1989 study led by Kurt Freund of the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Canada, scientists showed pictures of children to adult gay and straight males, and measured sexual arousal. Homosexual men reacted no more strongly to pictures of male children than heterosexual men reacted to pictures of female children.
A 1994 study, led by Carole Jenny of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, surveyed 269 cases of children who were sexually molested by adults. In 82 percent of cases, the alleged offender was a heterosexual partner of a close relative of the child, the researchers reported in the journal Pediatrics. In only two out of 269 cases, the offender was identified as being gay or lesbian.
"The empirical research does not show that gay or bisexual men are any more likely than heterosexual men to molest children," wrote Gregory M. Herek, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis, on his website. Herek, who was not involved in the 1989 or 1994 studies, compiled a review of research on the topic.
For example, in a 1989 study led by Kurt Freund of the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Canada, scientists showed pictures of children to adult gay and straight males, and measured sexual arousal. Homosexual men reacted no more strongly to pictures of male children than heterosexual men reacted to pictures of female children.
A 1994 study, led by Carole Jenny of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, surveyed 269 cases of children who were sexually molested by adults. In 82 percent of cases, the alleged offender was a heterosexual partner of a close relative of the child, the researchers reported in the journal Pediatrics. In only two out of 269 cases, the offender was identified as being gay or lesbian.
"The empirical research does not show that gay or bisexual men are any more likely than heterosexual men to molest children," wrote Gregory M. Herek, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis, on his website. Herek, who was not involved in the 1989 or 1994 studies, compiled a review of research on the topic.
Gay parents aren't as good as a father and a mother
Many of those who oppose gay marriage and gay adoption charge that
same-sex parents aren't good for kids, and that a child needs both a
father and a mother to grow up to be a healthy adult. Research, however,
shows that children
of gay parents tend to fare just fine.
For example, one recent study looked at nearly 90 teens, half living with female same-sex couples and the others with heterosexual couples, showing that both groups fared similarly in school. Teen boys in same-sex households had grade point averages of about 2.9, compared with 2.65 for their counterparts in heterosexual homes. Teen girls showed similar results, with a 2.8 for same-sex households and 2.9 for girls in heterosexual families.
Another study found that kids with two moms or two dads were no more likely than their counterparts in "traditional" homes to engage in delinquent activities, such as damaging others' property, shoplifting and getting into fights.
"The bottom line is that the science shows that children raised by two same-gender parents do as well on average as children raised by two different-gender parents," said Timothy Biblarz, a sociologist at the University of Southern California. "This is obviously inconsistent with the widespread claim that children must be raised by a mother and a father to do well."
Both studies were described in a literature review paper published in February 2010 in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
For example, one recent study looked at nearly 90 teens, half living with female same-sex couples and the others with heterosexual couples, showing that both groups fared similarly in school. Teen boys in same-sex households had grade point averages of about 2.9, compared with 2.65 for their counterparts in heterosexual homes. Teen girls showed similar results, with a 2.8 for same-sex households and 2.9 for girls in heterosexual families.
Another study found that kids with two moms or two dads were no more likely than their counterparts in "traditional" homes to engage in delinquent activities, such as damaging others' property, shoplifting and getting into fights.
"The bottom line is that the science shows that children raised by two same-gender parents do as well on average as children raised by two different-gender parents," said Timothy Biblarz, a sociologist at the University of Southern California. "This is obviously inconsistent with the widespread claim that children must be raised by a mother and a father to do well."
Both studies were described in a literature review paper published in February 2010 in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Being gay is a choice
While some claim that being gay is a choice, or that homosexuality
can be cured, evidence is mounting that same-sex attraction is at least
partly genetic and biologically based.
To test whether genes play a role, researchers have compared identical twins (in which all genes are shared) to fraternal twins (in which about 50 percent of genes are shared). A 2001 review of such twin studies reported that almost all found identical twins were significantly more likely to share a sexual orientation – that is, to be either both gay, or both straight – than fraternal twins, who are less genetically close. Such findings indicate that genes do factor into a person's orientation.
Other studies have found that biological effects, such as hormone exposure in the womb, can also play a role in shaping sexual orientation. And findings of physiological differences, such as different inner ear shapes between homosexual and heterosexual women, contribute to this idea.
"The results support the theory that differences in the central nervous system exist between homosexual and heterosexual individuals and that the differences are possibly related to early factors in brain development," said Sandra Witelson of McMaster University in Ontario, an author on the 1998 inner ear finding published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
To test whether genes play a role, researchers have compared identical twins (in which all genes are shared) to fraternal twins (in which about 50 percent of genes are shared). A 2001 review of such twin studies reported that almost all found identical twins were significantly more likely to share a sexual orientation – that is, to be either both gay, or both straight – than fraternal twins, who are less genetically close. Such findings indicate that genes do factor into a person's orientation.
Other studies have found that biological effects, such as hormone exposure in the womb, can also play a role in shaping sexual orientation. And findings of physiological differences, such as different inner ear shapes between homosexual and heterosexual women, contribute to this idea.
"The results support the theory that differences in the central nervous system exist between homosexual and heterosexual individuals and that the differences are possibly related to early factors in brain development," said Sandra Witelson of McMaster University in Ontario, an author on the 1998 inner ear finding published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Democratic Party to Officially Support Gay Marriage
Of course, the Republican Party maintains their position against gay marriage, even in states that have voted to make them legal.
The Washington Blade, who first broke the story, reports that the vote was unanimous:
Retiring gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who sits on the committee, told the Washington Blade on Monday that the 15-member panel unanimously backed the inclusion of a marriage equality plank after a national hearing over the weekend in Minneapolis, in which several witnesses testified in favor of such language.Gay rights groups are happy, obviously:
"I was part of a unanimous decision to include it," Frank said. "There was a unanimous decision in the drafting committee to include it in the platform, which I supported, but everybody was for it."
"I believe that one day very soon the platforms of both major parties will include similar language," said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "There is no more American value than honoring and protecting one's family."And the usual suspects are sending out the Bigot Signal with hopes of rallying their morally backwards brethren:
The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex unions, said the decision sets up marriage as a defining issue in the presidential election.
"We will rally supporters of traditional marriage to make sure they realize that the outcome of the presidential election may determine the future of marriage in our country," said Brian Brown, the organization's president.
Care2 Exclusive: Gay Kiss Gets Man Barred From Partner’s Bedside
When on July 17 Paul Zilber went to visit his fiance at Saint Barnabas Behavioral Health Center, in
Toms River, New Jersey, his focus was of course on his boyfriend’s
well-being. What Paul says he experienced however, was unlawful anti-gay discrimination at the hands of the center’s nursing staff.
Paul’s partner was receiving treatment at Saint Barnabas for mental health issues related to what had appeared to be a suicide attempt. Paul, 20, who was visiting at the same time as his partner’s grandparents, said that everything was fine on the day in question until a conversation with one of the nursing staff turned sour.
“Everything went okay, until a nurse who knew I was [name redacted]‘s boyfriend referred to me as his ‘friend.’ He corrected her and said that I was his partner. She replied with, ‘Oh your partner in crime?’ I said, ‘No, I’m his boyfriend, thank you.’ She then sighed and said ‘Oh… .’ She rolled her eyes, and gave me a thumbs up and walked away.”
Feeling this was inappropriate behavior from the nurse in question, Paul reported the nurse to the relevant staff, whereby he was told that it was “just a joke.” However, when Paul and his partner’s grandparents were preparing to leave for the evening, Paul alleges things turned from bad to worse.
After his partner’s grandparents both hugged and kissed his partner goodbye, Paul went to do the same. He says he was then “cornered” by two nurses who ran across the room to yell at him, “No contact, that is inappropriate.”
Paul maintains that the affection he had shown his partner was entirely appropriate for the setting. He therefore wanted to know why he was being singled out in this way.
“I then asked the nurse why it was okay for everyone else to give hugs and kisses but it was not okay for me?” Paul told Care2 he then gave his partner another kiss goodbye because the first kiss had been interrupted. “She then told another nurse to take me off his list of allowed visitors.” Not knowing how long his partner would be hospitalized for, this was obviously very distressing for Paul. ”I was very upset, and every time I would call a nurse would say, ‘I’m sorry, we have an order that we cannot speak to you, and that he cannot speak to you.’”
Paul says he was told some days later that he would be allowed to visit his partner, but the olive branch was conditional: ”I was then told, ‘He can come back if he promises to be appropriate.’ At that point, I walked out of the hospital,” he said.
Paul told me his partner’s grandparent, who witnessed the incident, also found it distressing, reportedly challenging the nursing staff, “Why are you harassing these two young men?”
Sadly, this was not the only incident of homophobia Paul says had occurred during his partner’s stay at Saint Barnabas. Paul’s partner had previously told him that when it became obvious they were in a gay relationship together, staff had made him feel uneasy as they went about their duties caring for him. Paul also claims that some of the nurses started wearing their wedding bands on different fingers after seeing his partner’s engagement ring. Paul also told Care2 that following his complaint over the alleged harassing behavior, a nurse came up to him and said, “I hope you’re happy, because my job is on the line.”
Paul’s partner, under a reported threat of legal action from his grandparents, was released the day after this incident.
“[He] felt like he had to get out, or he would lose his mind,” Paul said. “He came into the hospital for mental help, and they only made it worse for him. He felt as if he was being judged.”
Last year, the Obama administration issued new guidelines on existing federal anti-discrimination rules, making it explicitly clear that for hospitals and medical facilities running Medicare and Medicaid, it is a violation of federal law to deny access to a same-sex spouse or partner, and that such a denial of rights can cost the hospital its federal funding.
Saint Barnabas, part of the Barnabas Behavioral Health Network, is a JCAHO accredited freestanding 40-bed acute care psychiatric facility that provides inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs for adults diagnosed with psychiatric and dual disorders. Saint Barnabas participates in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs and if it were proven that the treatment Paul and his partner faced was solely bias-motivated, and that hospital staff did indeed move to bar Paul for no other reason than a same-sex kiss, it would appear that the center would be open to a legal challenge.
Paul, wanting to explore his options regarding fighting what he sees as a clear case of discrimination, is now working with local equality groups. “If this does not get resolved, we will have no choice but to sue for discrimination and harassment. How are you supposed to get help for personal issues when you are surrounded by people who do not accept you for who you are?”
Paul also has a message for other families in the area, saying, “To all LGBT families, do not go to this behavioral center.”
A request for comment from Saint Barnabas has, at the time of publication, gone unanswered.
Paul, wanting to raise awareness of the alleged incident, started a petition here at Care2. At the time of writing, that petition has over 8,000 signatures.
Take Action: Add your name to Paul’s Care2 petition and stand up for same-sex couples like Paul and his partner.
Paul’s partner was receiving treatment at Saint Barnabas for mental health issues related to what had appeared to be a suicide attempt. Paul, 20, who was visiting at the same time as his partner’s grandparents, said that everything was fine on the day in question until a conversation with one of the nursing staff turned sour.
“Everything went okay, until a nurse who knew I was [name redacted]‘s boyfriend referred to me as his ‘friend.’ He corrected her and said that I was his partner. She replied with, ‘Oh your partner in crime?’ I said, ‘No, I’m his boyfriend, thank you.’ She then sighed and said ‘Oh… .’ She rolled her eyes, and gave me a thumbs up and walked away.”
Feeling this was inappropriate behavior from the nurse in question, Paul reported the nurse to the relevant staff, whereby he was told that it was “just a joke.” However, when Paul and his partner’s grandparents were preparing to leave for the evening, Paul alleges things turned from bad to worse.
After his partner’s grandparents both hugged and kissed his partner goodbye, Paul went to do the same. He says he was then “cornered” by two nurses who ran across the room to yell at him, “No contact, that is inappropriate.”
Paul maintains that the affection he had shown his partner was entirely appropriate for the setting. He therefore wanted to know why he was being singled out in this way.
“I then asked the nurse why it was okay for everyone else to give hugs and kisses but it was not okay for me?” Paul told Care2 he then gave his partner another kiss goodbye because the first kiss had been interrupted. “She then told another nurse to take me off his list of allowed visitors.” Not knowing how long his partner would be hospitalized for, this was obviously very distressing for Paul. ”I was very upset, and every time I would call a nurse would say, ‘I’m sorry, we have an order that we cannot speak to you, and that he cannot speak to you.’”
Paul says he was told some days later that he would be allowed to visit his partner, but the olive branch was conditional: ”I was then told, ‘He can come back if he promises to be appropriate.’ At that point, I walked out of the hospital,” he said.
Paul told me his partner’s grandparent, who witnessed the incident, also found it distressing, reportedly challenging the nursing staff, “Why are you harassing these two young men?”
Sadly, this was not the only incident of homophobia Paul says had occurred during his partner’s stay at Saint Barnabas. Paul’s partner had previously told him that when it became obvious they were in a gay relationship together, staff had made him feel uneasy as they went about their duties caring for him. Paul also claims that some of the nurses started wearing their wedding bands on different fingers after seeing his partner’s engagement ring. Paul also told Care2 that following his complaint over the alleged harassing behavior, a nurse came up to him and said, “I hope you’re happy, because my job is on the line.”
Paul’s partner, under a reported threat of legal action from his grandparents, was released the day after this incident.
“[He] felt like he had to get out, or he would lose his mind,” Paul said. “He came into the hospital for mental help, and they only made it worse for him. He felt as if he was being judged.”
Last year, the Obama administration issued new guidelines on existing federal anti-discrimination rules, making it explicitly clear that for hospitals and medical facilities running Medicare and Medicaid, it is a violation of federal law to deny access to a same-sex spouse or partner, and that such a denial of rights can cost the hospital its federal funding.
Saint Barnabas, part of the Barnabas Behavioral Health Network, is a JCAHO accredited freestanding 40-bed acute care psychiatric facility that provides inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs for adults diagnosed with psychiatric and dual disorders. Saint Barnabas participates in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs and if it were proven that the treatment Paul and his partner faced was solely bias-motivated, and that hospital staff did indeed move to bar Paul for no other reason than a same-sex kiss, it would appear that the center would be open to a legal challenge.
Paul, wanting to explore his options regarding fighting what he sees as a clear case of discrimination, is now working with local equality groups. “If this does not get resolved, we will have no choice but to sue for discrimination and harassment. How are you supposed to get help for personal issues when you are surrounded by people who do not accept you for who you are?”
Paul also has a message for other families in the area, saying, “To all LGBT families, do not go to this behavioral center.”
A request for comment from Saint Barnabas has, at the time of publication, gone unanswered.
Paul, wanting to raise awareness of the alleged incident, started a petition here at Care2. At the time of writing, that petition has over 8,000 signatures.
Take Action: Add your name to Paul’s Care2 petition and stand up for same-sex couples like Paul and his partner.
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