From gwyn@annwfn.indstate.edu Mon Mar 13 15:26:47 1995 Return-Path: Received: from abacus.math.oxy.edu by casti.com (8.6.9/NX3.0M) id PAA26177; Mon, 13 Mar 1995 15:26:38 -0500 Received: from annwfn.indstate.edu (gwyn@annwfn.indstate.edu [139.102.87.12]) by abacus.math.oxy.edu (8.6.10/8.6.10) with ESMTP id MAA06637 for ; Mon, 13 Mar 1995 12:25:43 -0800 Received: (from gwyn@localhost) by annwfn.indstate.edu (8.6.10/8.6.9) id PAA04890; Mon, 13 Mar 1995 15:12:42 -0500 Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 15:12:41 -0500 (GMT-0500) From: "Thomas W. Holt Jr." To: "Gwyn's Queer Stuff Distribution" , wassonw@coral.indstate.edu Subject: "Robertson Cruel", Faythe White Says (fwd) Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 11:20:25 -0500 From: David B. O'Donnell To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: "Robertson Cruel", Faythe White Says [ Send all responses to FireDyke@AOL.COM only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] Release Date: March 10, 1995 Contact: Dawn Rankin-Phelps (804)543-2460 Robertson Cruel, Gay Minister's Mother Says Despite the fact that Pat Robertson stated that it was Mel White Parents' letters that persuaded him to meet with White, Minister of Justice for the UFMCC, March 8, Faythe White has been quoted as calling Robertson cruel and nasty. Robertson insisted that, like himself, White's parents do not agree with or approve of Mel's lifestyle. "That's not quite accurate," said Mrs. White, "He's kind of putting words in our mouths. It's not our place, or Pat's, to judge Mel. I wish to God he wasn't gay, but I cannot say that I disapprove." Mrs. White said that it was cruel of Robertson to have her son arrested and then refuse to meet with him for even a few minutes. "I think it was just plain nasty what Pat did, throwing him into jail. All he had to do was spend a few minutes with him," she said. "I wonder if he would have just let Mel rot in jail if we hadn't written him," she mused. White's parents said they are evangelical christians who regularly watch Robertson's 700 club and have given over $1,000 a year since the early '70's. They have even designated $100,000 in their will for Robertson's evangelist empire. Robertson's camp claims that this disclosure is not what influenced Robertson's decision to go to the jail and meet with Mel after repeating stating that there would be no meeting. White's mother said she and her husband have left their son in God's hands because homosexuality, "isn't something that you choose." Mel's father, Carl, said, "If we afforded him [Robertson] a way to save face, I'm fine with it. I don't have any bad feelings." But he said that he disagreed with Robertson's statement that he and his wife were grieving over his son's lifestyle. What he had actually said to Robertson was, "We are proud of our son, Mel... He believes your propaganda has resulted in the murder of many gay people... It is difficult for me to understand your attitude. It seems that you are either afraid of him, although he has no malice toward you, or your pride and arrogance refuses to let you be Christian... I suggest you go to the jail, give him five minutes... Pray with and for him, thereby clearing your conscience and relieving the whole situation. I do not condone his lifestyle. I do not understand it, but he is my son. It could have been yours. My family is dishonored by your actions." Robertson did not commit to White's request for him to publicly acknowledge or denounce hate crimes against homosexuals or to a meeting with a delegation from PFLAG. He simply said he would consider it, but would be out of the country for a few weeks. Bearing Witness will continue to monitor the CBN broadcasts and publications in an effort to further Mel's mission to help stop harmful rhetoric which they believe incites violence and suffering to God's gay and lesbian children. To set up interviews with Mel or for more information about Bearing Witness call (804) 543-2460. ###