On the April 4 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly introduced his “Back of the Book” segment by asserting, “There's no question that some powerful forces in America want to mainstream the gay lifestyle, and now, you can decide whether that's a good or a bad thing, because it's all on the table.” During the segment, author and radio host Marc Rudov said: “I think we are promoting a homosexual lifestyle, and I fear for the consequences -- the long-term consequences for children.” While Rudov did not explain what those “consequences” might be, he went on to assert:

RUDOV: You know, just this week, a report came out that said using cell phones is more dangerous than smoking, but the effects are very long-term. If there's going to be a brain tumor, it might not be discovered for 10 years -- and I kind of look at this in the same way, because children do form their sexual identities from their same-sex parents. And what's going on here is basically teaching children that there's no difference between a heterosexual marriage and a homosexual marriage.

Fox News analyst Margaret Hoover then replied: “I have to object to this notion that children form their sexuality and their sexual identity from their parents. The truth is that scientists, biologists, we don't know how sexuality is formed in people,” adding, "[T]o suggest that people are going to be gay if they're raised by gay parents is just scientifically unfounded. You just can't say that. You can posit that, but you can't say that's the fact." Indeed, in the American Psychological Association's publication Lesbian and Gay Parenting, Dr. Charlotte J. Patterson wrote in a chapter titled "Children of Lesbian & Gay Parents":

A number of investigators have also studied a third component of sexual identity, sexual orientation (Bailey, Bobrow, Wolfe, & Mickach, 1995; Bozett, 1980, 1987, 1989; Gottman, 1990; Golombok & Tasker, 1996; Green, 1978; Huggins, 1989; Miller, 1979; Paul, 1986; Rees, 1979; Tasker & Golombok, 1997). In all studies, the great majority of offspring of both lesbian mothers and gay fathers described themselves as heterosexual. Taken together, the data do not suggest elevated rates of homosexuality among the offspring of lesbian or gay parents.

In addition, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented, studies have consistently found no evidence that children raised by gay or lesbian parents suffer adverse effects in their psychosocial development.

Media Matters previously noted the promotional ad for the April 4 edition of The O'Reilly Factor that asked: “Is the media celebrating gay culture?” as well as O'Reilly's assertion on August 15, 2007, that: “I think everybody's got to relax on all this gay stuff” -- despite numerous subsequent instances of his apparently failing to do so. During the April 4 segment, O'Reilly asked Hoover: "[Y]ou're appalled by this mainstreaming, correct? After she replied, “Not at all,” O'Reilly pressed: "[E]ven when the mainstreaming now has become fairly intrusive?" Later, when Hoover said, “This is a very new thing in our culture, accepting homosexuality as a regular occurrence,” O'Reilly asked: “And you say it's a good thing?” Hoover replied: “I'm not suggesting that we promote a homosexual lifestyle and we impose it on people, but I am suggesting that it is important to be reflective of our culture and to not kibosh people from the mainstream.”

From the April 4 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: “Back of the Book” segment tonight: There's no question that some powerful forces in America want to mainstream the gay lifestyle, and now, you can decide whether that's a good or a bad thing, because it's all on the table.

One of the leaders of the movement is Rosie O'Donnell, who actively promotes gay cruises.

[begin video clip]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): You can camp it up, don't be shy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): 'Cause we welcome each gal and guy.

ROSIE O'DONNELL (singing): Whether gay, straight, trans, or bi.

[end video clip]

O'REILLY: That wasn't one of the funniest movie clips, that was a real thing. Joining us now from San Francisco with reaction to mainstreaming the gay lifestyle, Marc Rudov, host of The Marc Rudov Show on MarcRudovRadio.com.

Did I say your name enough there, Marc? We got three --

RUDOV: A few more times, Bill.

O'REILLY: -- three in 10 seconds. And Fox News analyst Margaret Hoover, who is here in New York -- and you're appalled by this mainstreaming, correct?

HOOVER: Not at all.

O'REILLY: No?

HOOVER: Not at all. Look, a conservative feminist stands for increasing personal responsibility and increasing personal freedom, and there is nothing about this -- I mean, these are private people, individuals, in their private lives spending their own money, leading their own lifestyle, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Their pursuit of happiness involves this, and frankly, there are kids out there that need families and parents that love them. There are plenty of broken homes that don't have parents --

O'REILLY: All right, so --

HOOVER: -- that love these kids, and so, I don't have a problem with this.

O'REILLY: Even -- even when the mainstreaming now has become fairly intrusive? You know, you look at television or you pick up a newspaper and, you know --

HOOVER: Is it really intrusive, though?

O'REILLY: To some people.

HOOVER: Or is it intrusive --

O'REILLY: To some people.

HOOVER: -- because people aren't used to seeing and acknowledging homosexuality as a normal part of our culture?

O'REILLY: Yes. Some people don't believe it is.

HOOVER: Look, are we going to be [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad's Iran and pretend like homosexually doesn't exist? Or are we going to acknowledge that it exists in the media, as it exists in real life?

And frankly, 1970 [sic] was the first time a star was cast as an openly gay person in a sitcom -- Billy Crystal played in Soap. This is a very new thing in our culture, accepting homosexuality as a regular occurrence.

O'REILLY: And you say it's a good thing?

HOOVER: I -- frankly, I just think it's reflective of reality. I'm not suggesting that we promote a homosexual lifestyle and we impose it on people, but I am suggesting that it is important to be reflective of our culture and to not kibosh people from the mainstream.

O'REILLY: All right. What do you say, Marc?

RUDOV: Well, I think we are promoting a homosexual lifestyle, and I fear for the consequences -- the long-term consequences for children.

You know, just this week, a report came out that said using cell phones is more dangerous than smoking, but the effects are very long-term. If there's going to be a brain tumor, it might not be discovered for 10 years -- and I kind of look at this in the same way, because children do form their sexual identities from their same-sex parents. And what's going on here is basically teaching children that there's no difference between a heterosexual marriage and a homosexual marriage.

You know, in California, for example, in October of last year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law SP-777. It's a new law that says you can't use “Mom,” “Dad,” “husband and wife” in textbooks anymore. Girls can come to school dressed as boys; boys can come to school dressed as girls. They can use each other's lavatories. And all of this is so not to offend gays and transgenders and bisexuals --

O'REILLY: Well, that's part of the mainstreaming --

RUDOV: -- who are about 6 percent of the population.

O'REILLY: Yeah, that's part of the mainstreaming of the --

RUDOV: That's right. But the --

O'REILLY: -- of the situation. Go ahead, Margaret.

[crosstalk]

HOOVER: I've got to object --

RUDOV: And the 94 percent of us who aren't in that --

O'REILLY: Wait, wait, Marc. Let --

HOOVER: Marc, I've got to object --

RUDOV: -- we have to go along with it.

HOOVER: But, Marc, I have to object to this notion that children form their sexuality and their sexual identity from their parents. The truth is that scientists, biologists, we don't know how sexuality is formed in people, and to suggest that people are going to be gay if they're raised by gay parents is just scientifically unfounded. You just can't say that. You can posit that, but you can't say that's the fact.

You -- I -- if you're going to be worried about the future of children and children growing up in same-sex couples, you ought to be a heck of a lot more worried about deadbeat dads and broken homes and inner city America, because there are a whole lot of people and kids that are growing up that don't have parents that love them.

O'REILLY: All right. I'm giving Marc the last word. Go ahead.

RUDOV: Well, you know, what's interesting is there's some hypocrisy going on here when it comes to mainstreaming, because it's kind of like Eliot Spitzer going after prostitutes when he was using prostitutes himself.

Now, the far-left liberals are supposed to be the main supporters of the gay lifestyle. Yet, when I go on TV or the radio to expose the double standards of women, they're the first ones to come after me to call me gay and queer, which proves that they're lying. They don't support the gay lifestyle, so all of this mainstreaming, in my opinion, is a cover-up for something else.

O'REILLY: All right. There you go. “He Said, She Said,” everybody. Thank you Margaret, Marc.

“Pinheads & Patriots” next, starring Yoko Ono and Mia Farrow -- don't miss this one. Right back with it.