# What did "Dr. Laura" do to supposedly anger gay-rights groups? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082 "2008-07-19T20:46:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scrambledeggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@scrambledeggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scrambledeggs)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/1 "2008-07-19T20:46:46Z")
I heard that Dr Laura Schesingler or whatever’s radio show came under protest because she said something to offend the gay ‘community’. Someone also told me she is now afraid to criticize them, and that she was almost ‘run off the air’. What did she say? Has she stopped? Is it true what I heard? ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/2 "2008-07-19T20:54:48Z")
From the [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Laura): > [@](#): > > In the months leading up to the premiere of her TV talk show, Schlessinger called homosexuality a “biological error.” She expressed the view that it was okay to be a homosexual, but not for homosexuals to practice homosexuality, or to adopt children. On May 8, 2000, LGBT activists protested Dr. Laura’s TV show at Paramount Television in New York, and stated that her views were bigoted and offensive. Similar protests in other U.S. cities followed, and a website[6] was launched with the purpose of getting Paramount to cancel the show prior to its premiere.[7] ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2008, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/3 "2008-07-20T05:53:35Z")
I think she threw the word “deviant” around a lot, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/4 "2008-07-20T12:36:00Z")
I had forgotten her very existence. Got much press, lately? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/5 "2008-07-20T14:07:09Z")
Since this question requires a factual answer, I am moving this thread from IMHO to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/6 "2008-07-20T14:26:02Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] I had forgotten her very existence. Got much press, lately? [/QUOTE] Actually, she did a few months ago, tangentially. Her son, Deryk, was/is deployed in Afghanistan and, allegedly, his [MySpace page is a bit…extreme](http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5934072) (link goes to an online newspaper article). I don’t know if they’ve determined if the page is actually his or not yet. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/7 "2008-07-20T20:27:31Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] I had forgotten her very existence. Got much press, lately? [/QUOTE] The evil cunt has moved to Santa Barbara. I believe that she was denied a studio on our local tourist attraction, Stern’s Wharf. She’s shilling for the other most evil cunt in town, Wendy McCaw, destroyer of our local newspaper. God. I hate those women. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/8 "2008-07-20T23:30:11Z")
I’ve listened to her radio program a few times and once heard a caller ask for help in coping with the fact that her adult son had just come out . Dr. Laura suggested treatment to “cure” his homosexuality and even recommended a program that has had remarkable success in turning gay people straight! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/9 "2008-07-21T03:29:24Z")
Eerily (ooooOOOOOOooooo) I asked Mrs. J. (who is more into talk radio than I) what was going on with “Dr. Laura” these days, as she seemed to have fallen off the radar screen. She is not on the air in our market, but continues whacking away at immorality and anti-family behavior elsewhere, and is reportedly still cranking out books on how we’re jiving off to Gomorrah. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/10 "2008-07-21T03:47:03Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] Eerily (ooooOOOOOOooooo) I asked Mrs. J. (who is more into talk radio than I) what was going on with “Dr. Laura” these days, as she seemed to have fallen off the radar screen. She is not on the air in our market, but continues whacking away at immorality and anti-family behavior elsewhere, and is reportedly still cranking out books on how we’re jiving off to Gomorrah. [/QUOTE] First time I’ve heard of her in some time. She really has fallen off the radar. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/11 "2008-07-21T03:53:46Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] The evil cunt has moved to Santa Barbara. I believe that she was denied a studio on our local tourist attraction, Stern’s Wharf. She’s shilling for the other most evil cunt in town, Wendy McCaw, destroyer of our local newspaper. God. I hate those women. [/QUOTE] Googling “Dr. Laura nude” will usually take the edge off that feeling. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/12 "2008-07-21T03:59:31Z")
[QUOTE=scrambledeggs] . . . the gay ‘community’. . . [/QUOTE] Just curious as to why you put “community” in quotes . . . single ones, at that. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/13 "2008-07-21T03:59:45Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Googling “Dr. Laura nude” will usually take the edge off that feeling. [/QUOTE] The nausea it engenders, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/14 "2008-07-21T04:11:56Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Just curious as to why you put “community” in quotes . . . single ones, at that. [/QUOTE] [Just because](http://www.markstivers.com/cartoons/Cartoons%202003/Stivers-11-19-03-quotation-.gif) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/15 "2008-07-21T04:44:16Z")
She also should not be called “Dr.” in that context. Although she does have a legit PhD, it is in Physiology and not Psychology or any related field. She works as a Pop psycholgist and is a licensed counselor, but her “Dr” has nothing whatsover to do with her field. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/16 "2008-07-21T13:52:18Z")
I used to listen to Dr. Laura back in the late 90s. Not that I always agreed with her but it was always interesting when she gave advice I did agree with because I generally reached the same conclusion based on difference reasons. I do think she’s grown a bit more radical since I stopped listening to her nearly 10 years ago. Marc ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/17 "2008-07-21T14:54:05Z")
You know, her first book _10 Stupid Things Women Do To Mess Up Their Lives_ was actually pretty good. And then she went around the bend. Bill O’Reilly did the same thing. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/18 "2008-07-21T15:09:40Z")
[QUOTE=phouka] You know, her first book _10 Stupid Things Women Do To Mess Up Their Lives_ was actually pretty good. And then she went around the bend. Bill O’Reilly did the same thing. What’s up with that? [/QUOTE] They both figured out that in the early to mid 90s, you could get a whole lot bigger audience by being a far right-wing idiot than by being a reasonable person. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/19 "2008-07-21T15:40:41Z")
She kind of developed into this anti-gay position. Back in the early 90s she used to give common sense advice about homosexuality. Then she started to go off the rails…she got into religion, and when she started talking about anti-gay therapy she caught a lot of flack. And the complaints from the gays drove her over the bend. She figured that the problem couldn’t be her, it couldn’t be that therapy can’t cure gay, no the problem had to be those awful awful homosexuals. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082/20 "2008-07-21T15:47:21Z")
> [@](#): > > and is a licensed counselor Last I checked, she had a master’s in a counseling field, but was not licensed. This was a smart move on her part, since I was looking her up in a professional context, in response to an inquiry about filing a complaint with her licensing board for being outside scope and standards of practice. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-dr-laura-do-to-supposedly-anger-gay-rights-groups/457082.md?page=2)