Fox News calls “Dr.” Keith Ablow part of its “Medical A-Team,” but he doesn’t know the first thing about transgender identities (or marriage, or sexual orientation). He made a bit of a media splash when he got upset about pink toenails in a J. Crew ad, but the first time he wrote something about Chaz Bono’s transition, Fox News pulled the post. With the announcement that Bono will be on this season of Dancing With The Stars, Ablow has him back in his crosshairs and pulls no punches.

This has to be one of the most transphobic articles ever published by a major media outlet. With the title of “Don’t Let Your Kids Watch Chaz Bono On ‘Dancing With the Stars,” Ablow manages to say just about every anti-trans thing an anti-trans person could say — none of which corresponds with professional medical standards for affirming gender identity. To be sure, this commentary on transgender identities makes the critiques of ABC’s Primetime Nightline special on trans children seem like small potatoes. Here’s a list that probably does not encompass everything that’s wrong with Ablow’s offensive drivel:

- Ablow refers to Bono as a “transsexual” woman. (He’s a transsexual man.)

- Ablow refers to Bono throughout the article with female pronouns, with one apparent typo. (Bono identifies with male pronouns.)

- Ablow suggests that children not watch the show because Bono is on it. (This suggests that people who are trans are somehow obscene or inappropriate, reinforcing stigma against them.)

- Ablow suggests that young people’s gender dysphoria is a “toxic and unnecessary byproduct of the tragic celebration of transgender surgery.” (The American Psychological Association points out that transgender people have existed throughout history, and many do not experience their gender identity as distressing or disabling.)

- Ablow calls Bono a “very disordered person” with “extraordinarily deep psychological problems.” (Bono has found peace after completing his transition, describing himself as “a happy guy.”)

- Ablow compares people who are transgender to people who wish they were amputees or other species, adding, “there are such people, by the way.” (Does this absurd point even need to be explained?)

- Ablow creates a false dichotomy for trans people between sexual reassignment surgery and denying their trans identity. (This ignores the infinitely vast diversity of trans and genderqueer people who may or may not have made surgical alterations to their body but have found identities that fit their lives.)

- Ablow suggests pursuing a transgender identity can “erode our children’s evolving senses of self.” (If the Primetime Nightline special demonstrated anything, it was how clearly young people can understand their gender identities and draw confidence from pursuing them. In fact, children have a clear understanding of gender by around the age three. )

- Ablow suggests he would have “gone to the ends of the earth to help Chaz Bono,” but would have pitied “her” if he had to take “her” to the “very dark place” of sexual reassignment surgery.

“Dr.” Keith Ablow is not a medical expert. By writing tripe like this, he is directly violating the Hippocratic Oath — assuming he ever took it — by propagating harm against transgender people. Fox News should apologize for hosting such dangerous rhetoric and quickly disassociate Ablow from its “Medical A-Team.” Anything short of these steps would be an endorsement of violence and discrimination against the entire transgender community.

Earlier this week, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum told students at his alma mater, Pennsylvania State University, that the American Psychological Association’s support for marriage equality and same-sex families is immaterial. He suggested the APA is made up only of people who support what the APA believes, and that the organization’s statements are “not evidence of benefit to society.”

Here’s how APA spokeswoman Kim Mills responded:

MILLS: The American Psychological Association’s position in support of same-sex marriage is based on a body of empirical research concerning sexual orientation and marriage. APA believes that it is unfair and discriminatory to deny same-sex couples legal access to civil marriage and all its attendant benefits, rights and privileges.

Indeed, the various resolutions and amicus briefs APA has issued on behalf of marriage equality, same-sex couples, and their children cite multitudes of studies that inform their conclusions. It is unknown whether the former senator read any of APA’s publications or the decades of research that inform them before dismissing its 154,000 members for having a “point of view.”

In a very delayed response to GLAAD’s media ratings, the Christian Post today complained that there are “too many” gay characters on TV, stopping just short of using the word “brainwashing” to describe the impact it has on the American public:

Conservative bloggers and religious leaders say unfortunately, many Americans are willing to allow Hollywood to manipulate their family’s perspective on the world.

Those who oppose same-sex marriage say there is a well-financed and detailed plan at work to change Americans’ opinions about homosexual and lesbian lifestyles through television programming.

Most of the CP article can be dismissed because none of it offers any context for the experience of LGBT people. In fact, it tries to claim there is a “lack of accurate, portrayal[s] of Bible-believing characters on television or in the movies.” For some reason, they are concerned that the recasting of “the homosexual lifestyle as normal and exciting” is somehow a bad thing. Do they think all gay people abnormally humdrum? (Some people think gay people are pretty fabulous.) And LGBT people are everywhere — cutting across all demographics — so why shouldn’t they be everywhere in television? That there have been so many television shows and movies completely erasing the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is not only unrealistic, but incredibly damaging.

The article ends on a tangent with research about how watching television can be unhealthy for kids, but makes no mention of how homophobia and transphobia are endangering their lives. The reality of the situation is that positive portrayals of LGBT people in the media are helping to save lives. The most obvious example is the “It Gets Better” anti-bullying project, through which young people can find celebrities, star athletes, politicians, and other role models who affirm the identities they might be questioning. What the Christian Post sees as political indoctrination is actually social medicine.

Research shows that over the same period of time that media portrayals of LGBT people has increased, there has been a steady decline in the frequency of homophobic remarks, harassment, and assault that LGBT young people have experienced in school. Furthermore, “desensitizing” family members increases the long-term health projections for LGBT youth, because studies show that the more a family rejects an LGBT child, the higher that child’s risk for suicide attempt and drug use.

Religious conservatives can continue to complain that support for their political issues like marriage discrimination is declining, but to suggest that it’s not good for kids? That’s just plain wrong.

North Carolina House Majority Leader Paul Stam (R)

Republican leaders in North Carolina are pushing for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which they hope advances at a special legislative session on September 12. North Carolina House Majority Leader Rep. Paul Stam (R) appeared this week on American Family Association radio with AFA’s President Tim Wildmon and the Family Research Council’s President, Tony Perkins. The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies both AFA and FRC as hate groups for their anti-gay rhetoric. Stam urged listeners to call their representative to encourage them to vote for the anti-gay measure and expressed optimism that voters would approve the amendment if it passed out of the legislature:

WILDMON: Shouldn’t this be a slam dunk once it gets out there to the people of North Carolina?

STAM: Well, we believe the people will pass it by 60, 65, 70 percent. That has never been the issue. The issue has been the old guard, for a decade, just not wanting to have the vote.

Watch the full exchange:

Unfortunately for Stam and his hate group companions, polling is not on his side. Two polls earlier this year showed that a majority of North Carolinians support some form of legal recognition for gay couples, either through civil unions or marriage. A Public Policy Polling poll showed 46 percent oppose recognition and an Elon University poll showed only 35 percent opposed recognition while 55 percent would vote down the proposed constitutional ban. [See UPDATE below!]

The lead proponent of the amendment, Ron Baity of Return America, said yesterday that it’s essential because Satan has marriage in the “crosshairs,” hoping “to tear down the idea of Christ’s unconditional love for us.”

That Stam would promote Baity’s ideas and associate with groups like AFA and FRC further confirms he is not interested in the will of the people, but rather boosting his own party’s reelection campaigns using anti-gay discrimination as a wedge issue. (HT: Good As You.)