Some of you who know me realize that my wife and I had a son about 7 weeks ago and he and our daughter are the joy of our lives.  With 4.5 years difference in their age, we forgot how difficult it was taking care of a newborn.  Yes, I quickly forgot about the needs of a new baby and all of the decisions that have to be made, like how and what to feed them.  My wife decided to breastfeed since he took to it so easily, supplementing with a small amount of formula.  The nurse gave us soy based formula at the hospital, saying that it would be good for him since it's the most similar to breast milk.

    From that point, our routine started to take shape and we went with her advice without question.  Last evening my wife was online researching different formulas, delving into the pros and cons of each when she stumbled upon a columnist who made some very bold claims. She got my attention from the next room as I heard her frantically shout, “You're not going to believe this!” His name is Jim Rutz, founder and chairman of Open Church Ministries.  Rutz claims that soy is making kids gay.  Seriously, he states that soybean products are feminizing due to high levels of estrogen.  
“If you're a grownup, you're already developed and you're able to fight off some of the damaging effects of soy. Babies aren't so fortunate. Research is now showing that when you feed your baby soy formula, you're giving him or her the equivalent of five birth control pills a day. A baby's endocrine system just can't cope with that kind of massive assault, so some damage is inevitable. At the extreme, the damage can be fatal. Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality, says Rutz.”

    As a Publisher, I definitely don't buy into everything I read, only believing half of what I see, but after reading this man's piece, I decided to stop feeding my boy, with linebacker potential, soy formula.  Yes I did, simply because I have choices.  My wife and I both agreed that these could be spurious claims; but why take the chance?  There are plenty of milk based formulas on the market with no negative press associated with them. Don't label me as homophobic or a gay-hater, but I just want the best for my son, which would be a life with minimal pushback.  Let's face it, life for a gay person doesn't appear to be difficult in this day and age but it is definitely more challenging than it is for heterosexual people. The fact that gays can not legally marry, speaks for itself.

     My son Steele has taken to the milk base formula well, not missing the soy.  If for some reason he turned out gay, I would love him just as much, knowing it wasn't because I fed him soy as an infant.  Sure, this guy, Rutz is far out with his statements, yet he draws a decent argument because soy formulas do in fact contain much higher amounts of phytoestrogens which lead to greater than normal levels of estrogen. Long-term studies that look at the health benefits and risks of soy-based infant formulas and eating phytoestrogen-rich foods as a child are needed, according to Barbour S. Warren, Research Associate & Carol Devine, Ph.D., R.D., and Educational Project Leader of Cornell University.  Why take the chance, I say. As a parent and responsible adult, minimizing risks is important.