Spoof Todd Akin article that claims ‘homosexuality can be cured by breastfeeding’ outrages Twitter
An article on satirical American website The Daily Currant which claimed that a Republican senate nominee suggested breast milk could cure homosexuality has outraged thousands on Twitter, despite its being a spoof.
Todd Akin, the article said, “has stoked more outrage today by claiming that male homosexuality is a disease and that the medical establishment has found the cure . . . four weeks of live breastfeeding.”
It’s not a complete surprise that this was taken as gospel, given Akin’s (actual) comments last week to a radio station that there was such a thing as “legitimate rape” through which a woman could not become pregnant because “the female body has ways of shutting that whole thing down.”
In the wake of the ensuing controversy that followed this comment, Akins’ 11-point lead in the polls turned into a 10-point deficit and his chances at winning the seat have been written off by many.
The Daily Currant article – which essentially has Akin approach the subject of homosexuality in the same spirit he did the issue of rape – fooled many readers.
Twitter comments included: “Can we put him in an asylum?”; “No, this is not a story from The Onion”; “Can we demand an IQ test for elected officials?” and “Really? People like this dude get elected in America?”
The article said: “The congressman really hit his stride when discussing homosexuality.
“This may surprise you Jeff, but I don’t think homosexuality is a choice. We evangelicals, we know that it’s a disease. But the good news is – we have the cure.
“We now know how to purge men of sin and put them on a path towards god. Why can’t every gay man in America have that knowledge?
“Just 4 weeks of live breastfeeding can cure them of their terrible suffering. Why aren’t we talking about this?”
Then: “Lesbians can be cured by drinking something else,” Akin replied. “I’ll leave that one to your imagination.”
The Daily Currant is an online satirical magazine. They say: “Our stories are purely fictional. However they are meant to address real-world issues though satire and often refer and link to real events happening in the world.”
