Capitol Correspondent
Lynchburg, VA – The Rev. Mel White, founder of SoulForce, knows better than most who Rev. Jerry Falwell was and what he was about. White was hired by Falwell to ghost write his autobiography.
"It's been out there that I had a hand in writing speeches and crafting his message, and that is simply not true," White told BTL. "I wrote his autobiography, and that gave me a very deep sense of intimate knowledge of the man."
White agreed to talk to BTL via cell phone while in transit to Asia where he plans to set up AIDS care programs. He was on a layover in a busy California airport, and his words were often drowned out by the blaring announcements of arriving and departing flights. His voice was tired from talking literally nonstop for days about his former boss who died last week at the age of 73.
White, who is gay, came out shortly after helping Falwell write his book. He said the minister's response was less than friendly.
"What turned from a friendship, turned to vitriol against me in church and school. I was a fallen creature who abandoned his wife and children," he said. "What had been a friendship went away. He turned evil and he turned mean."
White and his partner Gary Nixon moved to Lynchburg from California to live across the street from Falwell's church and attended the church regularly. White says they did this to bear witness to LBGT people of faith. According to White, this sent Falwell over the edge, making his diatribes more and more viscious.
"He has proven that America and democracy can tolerate intolerance," White says of the minister's legacy. "Basically his legacy is to have been the progenitor of fundamentalism in this era of America."
The conservative televangelist will perhaps be remembered best for his creation of the now defunct conservative Christian political movement the Moral Majority and his antigay diatribes.
Upon hearing of Falwell's death, White says he had a mixed reaction.
"I feel a sense of relief that he is dead," White says. "At the same time I feel real genuine grief for his family, his church and for his university. But I am telling you, he was mean and false about us and to have that voice quieted is a relief for not only me but our entire community."
He says he cried at the news.
But what is the legacy Falwell leaves the LBGT community?
White says it is not a good one.
"Falwell has left the country echoing with false information about the LGBT people. Those words will have power long after he has left this earth," he says. "For us, he leaves us with suffering, intolerance and even death. He gave permission to gay bashers to be believe they were doing God's work."
And it is that legacy that has driven generations of gay Christians from their churches, White added. But he warns the LBGT community not to surrender their spirituality, at any cost.
"We have been gifted with spirit. We're sensitive spiritually and if we forget to keep working on that spiritual side, we lose ourselves," White said of the LBGT community. "We have to find some way to develop ourselves spiritually. It is important."
Allowing the bigoted vitriol of some pulpits is not an acceptable excuse to abandon our spiritual side, White said.
"We don't have the excuse we are not welcome," he said, pointing out dozens of faiths and affirming and welcoming churches. "If you feel strongly enough we ought to go take the churches back. To surrender them is wrong. Let's go back and take back the church we love."
"God was just as angry at Falwell as we are. God loves us. We need to get that message across," White said.
As for the legacy of hate Falwell leaves this country with, White said it's simple. Fundamentalists have been wrong before and they will be again. "They were wrong with the inquistions, they were wrong on slavery. They are just wrong on this issue, period."
But White does have one regret with the passing of Falwell. "I regret he didn't change. That he didn't have a moment to say to the whole nation, 'I was wrong about gay people; just like I was wrong about black people. I was wrong and I am sorry.' I didn't get a chance to see him change."
