George Rekers
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George Rekers is a Baptist minister, leading scholar of the Christian right and anti-gay activist who, along with James Dobson, founded the Family Research Council. Rekers has earned tens of thousands of dollars testifying as an expert witness in opposition to gay adoptions.[1]
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Expert witness work
Dr. Rekers was hired by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum to defend Florida's anti-gay adoption ban. He was one of two witnesses the Attorney General called in an effort to reverse a Miami judge's ruling that Florida's adoption ban -- the only one in the country of its kind -- is unconstitutional. In his testimony, Rekers called gay people mentally unstable and also advised that the ban be extended to include Native Americans because, Rekers claimed, they, too are at much higher risk of mental illness and substance abuse. McCollum paid Rekers and a colleague $87,000 for testimony.[2]
"Rent Boy" allegations
The Miami New Times reported that on April 13, Rekers was photographed arriving at the Miami International Airport with a male escort after having taken a ten day trip to Europe. The services of Rekers' companion, identified only by the name Lucien, were found to have been advertised solely on the Web site RentBoy.com, a gay escort/masseur Web site. Lucien's information on the site is only accessible after the viewer acknowledges he is over age 18 and clicks a button saying he is aware that the site contains "content and materials that are of a graphic and/or sexual nature." [3] Rekers claimed that the man was there to help him carry his luggage, since he had recently had surgery and was unable to carry it himself. Rekers was pushing his own luggage cart when he and Lucien were spotted at the airport. Rekers denied knowing Lucien's line of work. [4][5][6]
Biography
Rekers earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, his M.B.A. in executive management from Southern Wesleyan University, and his Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) degree from the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the University of South Africa. He is a Distinguished Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science Emeritus at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina. He has also testified as an expert witness in court cases [7]
Sourcewatch resources
External resources
References
- ↑ Alvin McEwen Florida paid $60,000 for discredited work against gay adoption Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters] Blog. November 27, 2008
- ↑ Steve RothausEquality Florida: New Times reports Attorney General Bill McCollum's 'expert' witness in adoption case caught with male prostitute, Miami Herald Blog, Equity Florida Blog, May 4, 2010
- ↑ RentBoy.com RentBoy.com home page, accessed May 5, 2010
- ↑ Penn Bullock, Brandon K. Thorpe Christian right leader George Rekers takes vacation with "rent boy", Miami New Times, May 6, 2010
- ↑ Ria Viente Anti-gay activist George Rekers hired a gay escort, 24World News, May 5, 2010
- ↑ Alvin McEwen Anti-gay organization founder travels with a 'rentboy' Huffington Post, May 4, 2010
- ↑ George Rekers Professor George Welcome. Web page. Accessed May 5, 2010
