A long-shot Liberal candidate in the Tory stronghold of Parry Sound-Muskoka is the author of a book claiming — without any evidence — that homosexuality is caused by infants “rebreathing” their own air shortly after birth.
“It’s controversial … I’m the only person who’s ever said that,” Barry Stanley, a retired elementary teacher from the York Region District School Board, told the Star when asked about his self-published 2009 tome “Rebreathing,” which is available on Amazon.ca.
Stanley said he has degrees in economics from the University of Waterloo and teaching from Lakehead University, but acknowledged in a telephone interview Wednesday that he has no proof to back his theory and no scientific training.
“None whatsoever. It’s just a theoretical book … sort of folk theory,” the Bracebridge resident added as he took a break from campaigning for the June 2 provincial election.
“So it’s untested, unproven. These are just theories I hoped others could go with, perhaps do more testing and enlighten, you know? But there’s no proof to anything I have there.”
Detail’s of Stanley’s book came shortly after the Liberals dumped their candidate in Sault Ste. Marie. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said Wednesday in Etobicoke that the firing was prompted by “information that was not disclosed to us in the vetting process.” The party has not released details.
Despite that snag, Del Duca added, “I’m quite proud of the hard-working group of volunteers who have been running our vetting process since day one.”
Stanley said he did not tell Liberal headquarters about his book, which explores his thoughts on rebreathing as it relates to the causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and learning disabilities .
“The book has nothing to do with the campaign but it is personal to me. I’m proud of it,” added Stanley, who was interviewed by party officials before being approved to run in the cottage country riding held for two decades by Progressive Conservative Norm Miller, who is not seeking re-election.
Stanley said he is working with a team of four Liberals volunteers and didn’t have a campaign manager until “three days ago” in the race where Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith is expected to hold the riding for Doug Ford’s PCs.
In Chapter 13 of his book, Stanley addresses “homosexual orientation,” and writes it “may also be caused by depleted rebreathing occurring shortly after birth … it is related to how the brain has developed.”
He states depleted rebreathing occurs when “insufficient new fresh air is being inhaled into the lungs” because some air being exhaled doesn’t make it all the way out of the body.
“One of the suggestions for avoiding a SIDS death or learning disability is to encourage thumb sucking and pacifier use, as these protect against their occurrence,” Stanley writes.
“It would be tragically ironic if parents were discouraging thumb sucking or pacifier use on the assumption they were reducing the possibility of their child being gay, while, in fact, they were actually increasing that possibility.”
Stanley, who retired a decade ago, said he taught most elementary grades and special education during his York Region career at schools in Thornhill, Newmarket and Aurora.
“It’s not in wide circulation,” he said of the 120-page book. “I get about $5 a year.”
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