B.T.W.
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together in a grave holding hands. While it was always assumed that they were a straight couple, DNA analysis has proved that both were men. Curiously, this discovery has raised questions about the nature of the pair’s relationship, which before was taken as a sure sign of heterosexual love. An Abstract by the European Research Council pointed to a lack of “analogous geo-chronological contexts” for comparison, adding that the meaning of handholding for Roman men is unclear. So, while the gesture was taken at face value when they were a married couple, now it’s a great mystery that defies easy interpretation. The Abstract concludes that “the burial represents a voluntary expression of commitment between two individuals,” but then adds: “But it’s unclear if the commitment was romantic in nature.” Huh?

In DNA Veritas 2  When the concept of the “gay gene” emerged in the 1990s, it was warmly embraced by LGBT leaders, who saw the gene theory as bolstering their argument that sexual orientation is analogous to race or gender, an intrinsic part of one’s identity. A few people sounded the alarm: Um, if this “gay gene” thing turns out to be true, won’t some people opt to abort their gay fetuses, so that one day LGBT people could die out? Relax. A massive study of 500,000 people has found that the situation is vastly more complex than once suspected (Science, 30 Aug. 2019). In the Genome-Wide Association Study, participants were asked whether they had ever engaged in same-sex behavior, and their answers were used to locate distinctive markers on the DNA of those answering Yes. Researchers found five such markers that were especially robust—but together they accounted for less than one percent of the variance between the two groups. All told, genes could explain 32 percent of the variance, which still leaves 68 percent to the environment. The study drew strong reaction from various quarters, including LGBT organizations, which expressed concern that the study could embolden those who claim that being gay is a choice. Or we should all be breathing a sigh of relief.

Conversion Slavery  Every new revelation about the “ex-gay” movement and its sordid local operations seems more shocking than the last; the latest exposé is both shocking and banal. The camp is in rural Alabama and run by Gary and Meghann Wiggins, who’ve been arrested and charged with human trafficking and forced labor. They’ve been operating this “conversion therapy” center for years for boys ages ten to seventeen. The camp was featured on ABC TV’s 20/20, which focused on its extremely harsh methods of punishment designed to “cure” the boys of homosexuality through physical and verbal abuse, incarceration (including solitary confinement), starvation, and neglect. As it happens, the Wigginses also own two companies, Joshua Home Moving and Joshua Home Lawn Care, and their workforce is none other than the forced labor of the boys. It’s quite a business model, and there’s even a certain logic to it. You’ve got these boys completely under your control (their parents have essentially abandoned them); you’re in the business of breaking their spirits through intimidation; so you may as well put them to work and make a few bucks. The leap from ex-gay therapy to slavery is really not all that great.

Evil Extract  A Presbyterian minister in Linden, New Jersey, has been accused of using oral sex as part of an exorcism ritual. Three men have charged that Rev. Dr. William Weaver performed oral sex on them as part of the ritual—which also involved the Bible, Native American rites, and gemstones—to help them through various life crises. Weaver has not been arrested but was scheduled to face his accusers before the Elizabeth Presbytery. However, when he renounced all ties to the church, his case was thrown into limbo. The three men have not pressed charges in a court of law, perhaps understandably, because… how do you explain that you allowed your dick to be sucked by a pastor as part of a therapy session? What was it that persuaded you? No doubt a lot of smoke and mirrors were involved, but the main argument Weaver used was that the men were possessed by “evil spirits” that needed to be extracted from their bodies. Get it? The fellatio was just one of several techniques designed to work with this “extraction” metaphor. Truly diabolical!—and further evidence of the lengths to which some men will go to give a little head.