By now, I'm sure that you have heard about "Dr." Laura Schlessinger's desperate ploy for attention, a disgusting racist diatribe on her radio show that is, at its best, completely useless. People who have followed queer issues remember how viciously heterosexist "Dr." Laura is. We also remember something else.

If you are wondering why I'm putting the "Dr." in fright quotes, it's because she is misusing her title to present herself as having far more expertise in the field of counseling than she actually has. From The Body 7/2000 (bolding mine):

Although she does have a Ph.D. in physiology, her credentials in mental health are limited to a certificate in family counseling from the state of California. When she made the transition from a local personality to a nationally known figure, her politics and views of human relationships made a dramatic turn to the right. As her show became more popular, "Dr." Laura chose to use her radio show as a platform to take pot shots at the very real problems of her callers and to promote a venomous anti-gay agenda. In the past several years she has taken to referring to gay men and lesbians as "biological errors," and has urged her listeners to fight against any effort to promote human rights and understanding for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.

Like the supposed legitimacy of so many bigots on the right fringe, the authority of Schlessinger to offer personal advice has a smoke and mirrors quality to it. Heterosexist and racist bigotry seem to be the only "qualifications" that really matter to rightists.

Photo: Pets4Dawn