With his new book, Author Mel White paints a chilling, but uplifting picture of the ethereal struggle for love and acceptance in the real world fight for equality and justice.
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I recently interviewed Dr. Mel White at his home in Long Beach, California for an upcoming documentary, Project Change. As we were packing up the equipment, he handed the crew his latest book, Grace and Demion, A Fable for Victims of Biblical Intolerance (Lethe Press). He told us we had to read it within ten days, or we’d be cursed in a way I’m too embarrassed to repeat here. Let’s just say that Dr. White is very creative and quick-witted. Just in case he was right about the curse, I read the book.
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First, let me say that Mel White is a name those on the religious right have come to dread. His ridiculously long list of credentials includes ghostwriter for Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and the infamous Jerry Falwell. He’s written 32 books in total, with nine best sellers. He’s also written and produced 53 documentary films and television specials. He’s been a pastor, professor, and talk show host. He has three degrees, including a doctorate in ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, and did graduate work at UCLA and Harvard. When he had a little spare time he appeared on television’s The Amazing Race with his famous actor/writer/director son, Mike White. Twice.
In spite of all Mel White might have done for the power hitters of the religious right, when he came out in 1991, he left an impression the religious right still hasn’t been able to shake. Perhaps because, at 74, he’s not done yet.
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Grace and Demion is sure to raise a few eyebrows and ruffle some feathers. While creative and, at times, quite sweet, Mother Goose it is not. White recounts his personal pain of growing up gay in a Christian evangelical home, filled with “years of guilt and self-hatred.” He even tried to overcome his sexual orientation through “endless ‘ex-gay’ therapy sessions,” which included electric-shock and exorcism. All of this resulted in slashing his own wrists in an attempt to end the emotional pain of his “sin.”
But the book isn’t really all about Mel White, per se. It’s that White’s story is, sadly, a common theme among those raised in the throes of fundamentalist theology. The pain and self-loathing he describes comes from what White believes are sociological and theological misperceptions of who and what God is about. The book is a story that turns traditional theology on its head. It speaks not of God’s disgust and despise of “Queer Children,” as White describes them, but of the great love and grace the Creator bestows on those who are different. White describes this kind of different as a “gift, another way of saying, ‘unique,’ ‘unconventional,’ ‘set apart.’”
He goes on to tell the story of an Angel named Grace and a demon named Demion, both of whom were assigned to him as a baby. It is a tale of good and evil, both fighting for his soul. The imp Demion needed to do little more than let self-proclaimed Christians do the talking for him, tearing down the self-worth of a young boy who is just discovering his different sexuality, while trying to make sense of it all. Grace, in the mean time, is there to fight the malevolent forces and help the young boy find his path to God, who not only loves him, but also holds a special place for him in His heart.
Few have experienced the public depth of Biblical intolerance as Mel White. As a former prominent figure in conservative circles, his tell-all book, Stranger at the Gate, exposed what it’s like to be a gay person growing up in the fundamentalist, evangelical faith. Shedding light on the under workings of the religious-political right, however, didn’t win him any points. White endured years of disassociation and defamation from those he once counted among friends, if not family. Ever since, White’s passion has been to let those in the LGBT community know that God loves them exactly as they are.
In 1998, he founded SoulForce, a social justice organization to “challenge the Religious Right through relentless nonviolent resistance to end the political and religious oppression of LGBTQI people.” The organization seeks to educate families and communities by addressing issues of justice, faith and kinship. Additionally, it calls attention to areas where religion is used for political oppression.
Grace and Demion is a culmination of all that Mel White stands for. His heart and passion shine throughout the pages, colorfully painting a picture of an ethereal struggle for love and acceptance in the real world fight for equality and justice.
Grace and Demion is a must-read for LGBT Christians caught in the crosshairs of the very heated and, too often, accusatory debate over the Bible and homosexuality. Mel White makes his message abundantly clear to those in the LGBT community whom he has served and fought beside for over two decades, “There is nothing you can think or say or do that could ever stop God from loving you.”
Purchase a copy of Grace and Demion A Fable for Victims of Biblical Intolerance.
Get involved in SoulForce.
Hire Mel White to speak for your organization.
Photos Courtesy of Mel White
Gays are clearly God’s chosen people. They test others in terms of their humanity and love. Their progress of equality under the law has been unprecedented, clearly God’s will. I fear that all who oppose gay equality will burn most horribly for all eternity. Let us pray for the haters and bigots who oppose God.