Michigan: Discredited researcher Mark Regnerus testifies at same-sex marriage ban trial

The Chairman of the University of Texas at Austin’s Sociology Department issued a statement today denouncing the work of discredited Mark Regnerus:

Like all faculty, Dr. Regnerus has the right to pursue his areas of research and express his point of view.

However, Dr. Regnerus’ opinions are his own. They do not reflect the views of the Sociology Department of The University of Texas at Austin.

Nor do they reflect the views of the American Sociological Association, which takes the position that the conclusions he draws from his study of gay parenting are fundamentally flawed on conceptual and methodological grounds and that findings from Dr. Regnerus’ work have been cited inappropriately in efforts to diminish the civil rights and legitimacy of LBGTQ partners and their families.

We encourage society as a whole to evaluate his claims.

Regnerus' now discredited study has been used as ammunition by dozens of anti-gay marriage activists in trying to bolster claims that children in same-sex households do worse than in heterosexual households. Regnerus based his findings on a survey of 15,000 people that only interviewed two children raised in same-sex households.

Regnerus is currently testifying in the Michigan marriage equality lawsuit as an "expert witness."

During testimony today, an ACLU lawyer brought up the University of Texas' statement.  Regnerus says he had seen it and it was "regrettable" and "inappropriate."   He also admitted that he has strong personal feelings against the idea of marriage equality.

You can follow the Michigan trial minute by minute at reporter Amy Lange's Twitter feed.