Suggestions that soy milk is making New Zealand men gay is causing a mixture of amusement and bewilderment among experts and child-care professionals.

Sanitarium New Zealand's nutrition manager Kim Stirling sent out inquiries to several leading independent soy researchers overseas, all of whom failed to turned up any evidence or research, credible or otherwise, on the subject.

Calls to various Plunket offices by GayNZ.com enquiring about whether parents should be cautioned about this alleged phenomenon resulted in barely-suppressed guffaws from all concerned.

The suggestions were made by broadcaster Ian Wishart in the November issue of his magazine Investigate. In answer to a reader's letter on gay bishops, Mr Wishart made reference to “some fascinating scientific research that indicates the massive increase in the use of soy milk over the past four decades has contributed to increased levels of homosexuality among men”.

The source of the research was not given in the magazine, but Mr Wishart kindly provided GayNZ.com with some answers when we contacted him by email late last week, which will form part of a forthcoming feature article.

In an unrelated and spontaneous piece of correspondence, Mr Wishart informed us that he has “published essays on the nature of Hell previously” and that liberals who “try and rewrite the Bible to suit their own worldview...pit themselves directly against God”.