James Randi and the queer community

He didn’t live in Texas either - he lived in Florida. But find me someone who was prosecuted under those old Sodomy laws in the decade or two before that? I suspect you won’t - the laws stayed on the books but were rarely used.

If the paper proves that scientists are more likely to be faithful, yes. The difference here is Randi’s schtick was about honesty and skepticism.

1 Like

You explicitly said it wasn’t criminalized when it very clearly was, including in Florida. And the plaintiffs in the case I cited were arrested in 1998.

11 Likes

So your argument is that you’re for whatever reason certain he knew his partner stole someone’s identity to survive and because he didn’t turn in him like a good little kapo it invalidates his debunking of charlatans? :face_with_monocle:

Even if that argument did carry water, you felt the need to bring up his decision to stay in the closet in a dangerously homophobic culture as evidence against his honesty, and let’s just say that doesn’t do your own moral authority any favors.

17 Likes

Randi’s schtick was about disproving quackery. What does this have to do with having a partner who is an illegal immigrant?

12 Likes

Even allowing for your goalpost moving, Randi’s work (both entertainment and de-bunking) involved travelling around the whole country. He wrote an entire 1987 book exposing Xtianist faith healers (many of them in the American south, many of them politically connected) as frauds.

If you don’t think his Bible-thumping enemies would have had their pet politicians drag out those old sodomy laws or if they wouldn’t have just used his sexual orientation during a very intolerant time to muddy the waters around his de-bunking of their grifts, you’re very naive.

22 Likes

So effing what. Nothing to do with skepticism. Totally his decision to make. And certainly absolutely nothing the eff to do with the calumny by Horowitz that should have been retracted.

2 Likes

This topic was automatically closed after 19 days. New replies are no longer allowed.