This morning NPR had a story about Jerry Falwell opening a new church. Ho hum. I think Falwell is a jerk, a homophobe and a noxious representative of anti-science attitudes that hurt our country. But as part of the piece they talked with Mel White, who ghost wrote Falwell’s autobiography. Here’s the kicker: Mel White has since come out of the closet as a homosexual. And the best part is that he regularly attends Falwell’s services and silently protests Falwell’s attacks on gays:
Years later, White became one of those gay protesters. Falwell’s ghostwriter came out of the closet, and moved to Lynchburg. He attends Falwell’s church, and stands in silent protest if Falwell attacks gays.
“I believe Jerry Falwell will change and I believe it’ll be in my lifetime,” White says. “And if he doesn’t change, I’m gonna die trying.”
White says he’ll be at the front of the line to attend the new church’s opening. “I want to get a front seat, so that if he talks about gay people, I can stand up and protest there just like I did in the old church.”
Good for him, and I’ve actually gained a tiny bit of respect for Falwell and his church for not barring White from services.
(As an aside, it’s interesting that NPR’s transcript uses “gonna” instead of “going to.” Is that now part of the AP style guide?)