Carl and Debbie Houser have spoken out publicly against their family pediatrician Dr. Walter Wentworth for diagnosing their 7-year-old son Randall with “a case of the gays.” The story first gained media attention when Janice Henderson, a local reporter for Boston’s affiliate FOX station stumbled across an online blog created by Debbie Houser entitled Mommy Knows The Truth.
Houser says it all started at the beginning of October, when their son Randall arrived home from school with a fever of 102. “He was really lethargic and hot to the touch,” said Houser. “We immediately took him to our family doctor to have him checked out. We have been taking Randall to Dr. Wentworth since he was born; he was actually my husband’s pediatrician as well. He has been taking care of our family for ages.”
Dr. Wentworth seemed disinterested in treating the boys fever and told Debbie and Carl that there is no reason for them to panic, and that it was probably just associated with a stomach bug that has been going around.
According to Debbie, “[Wentworth] was so dismissive about poor Randall’s fever, then he got real serious, and said ‘you may want to brace yourself for the news I’m about to deliver.’” Debbie says she and Carl were terrified to hear what the doctor was going to say next.
Dr. Wentworth told the concerned parents that he had been tracking young Randall’s behavior for many years, and feels confident that Randall has what he referred to as “a case of the gays.”
He explained that Randall exhibits many effeminate behaviors that are quite worrisome and cannot be ignored. Dr. Wentworth told the Housers that Randall has developed a lisp that he didn’t have 2 years ago, often wears pink and purple clothing, and typically plays with the girl’s toys in the pediatrician’s waiting room.
Though Carl and Debbie tell the media that they were outraged by the offensive and confusing diagnosis, several of Dr. Wentworth’s nurses have told the media they overheard Carl Houser privately pleading with Dr. Wentworth to “please fix his son.”
The Housers say they are planning a lawsuit against their former doctor, although they haven’t said what, precisely, they are suing for or why.
“Our lawyer thinks we can sue him just for his offensive diagnosis, and the emotional distress it’s caused us…I mean Randall,” said Debbie. “Dr. Wentworth needs to realize that our son is not gay. I mean, even if he was, we would love him just the same, but he’s only 7 years old. He’s definitely not gay. He just isn’t. That’s the beginning and the end of if. There are no gay people in my family at all. Period.”
Dr. Wentworth says he isn’t worried about a lawsuit. “The kid’s as queer as a three dollar bill. What are they going to sue me over? Telling them the truth?”