Just last week, shamed, down-on-his-luck, defrocked, meth-using former evangelical leader Ted Haggard told Newsweek that the only man he ever had relations with was an escort named Mike Jones. Shockingly, allegations from a paid-off, former twentysomething who volunteered at Haggard’s church have once again proven that Ted’s a big ol’ liar.
This comes on the eve of his redemption tour. Built around an HBO documentary airing Thursday, and supplemented by appearances on Oprah and Larry King, the tour was supposed to send the message that Ted was just a poor, deluded victim, not a serial liar who spouted homophobia from the pulpit while snorting meth and getting blowjobs from gay escorts. So just how many men have touched the life of Ted Haggard? Let’s find out.
Dad’s Co-Worker
Ted claims that the reason he turned to gay sex was that he was sexually abused by one of his father’s co-workers when he 7. Ted told an The Open Bible Church in Illinois:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“My Dad was pretty successful. He had a lot of workers. One of those workers had a sexual experience with me. I was 7 years old…There I was, 50 years old, a conservative Republican, loving the word of God, an evangelical, born-again, spirit-filled, charismatic, all those things. But some of the things that were buried in the depths of the sea from when I was in the second grade started to rage in my heart and mind.”
Jesus
At 16, Haggard became a born-again Christian, a path that would eventually find him as one of the most powerful evangelical leaders in the country. In 1984, his mentor, Danny Ost, told him he had a vision that Haggard would build a church in Colorado Springs, and off Ted went, starting his church from his home and growing it into a 10,000 person following. Along the way, he preached against homosexuality, saying “We don’t have to debate about what we should think about homosexual activity. It’s written in the Bible.”
Rumored Guys in Denver
Greg Montoya, editor of Out Front Colorado, said at the time of the Mike Jones scandal that the gay community had known of Haggard’s sexuality and that rumors had been flying around for over a year. Though he was shocked to find out that Haggard’s sex life included Mike Jones, a “massage therapist” who advertised in his paper.
Is there any proof that Haggard hooked up with other guys? Well, no — but hey, the guy gets around and the escort he hooked up with, Mike Jones, says that he contacted Brady Boyd of the New Life Church saying that other guys had disclosed to him that they had hooked up with Haggard as well, so — it’s very plausible.
Mike Jones
The former prostitute who chose to come forward with taped voice mails left by Ted (setting up appointments on the eve of a 2006 ballot initiative to ban gay marriage, which he supported), spelled the end of Haggard’s career. Jones said Haggard procured meth from the prostitute and that, until he found out who Ted was, he thought Haggard was a nice, albeit clearly closeted guy. He also said Haggard told him he wanted to have an orgy with “about six young college guys ranging from 18 to 22 in age.” Closed door fun!
Soon-To-Be-Disclosed New Life Church Volunteer
Well, we don’t know if it was an orgy, but Haggard apparently got himself some twink-lovin’ after all. Actually, it wasn’t “loving” at all — the twenty-something young man who has spoken with Denver’s News Channel 13 in a segment airing tonight says Haggard had sexual contact with him and that it had been non-consensual. New Life Church’s Brady Boyd confirmed the report and said that the Church has paid the man a six-figure sum to “comfort” him (read: keep quiet). Boyd claims that the relationship was consensual.
David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), disagreed: “Technically, legally, they were both adults. Psychologically and emotionally, Haggard was dramatically more powerful. … By definition, any sexual contact between a congregant and minister is inherently abusive and manipulative.”
So, who else has had sex with Ted Haggard? Do you think Ted deserves forgiveness? Who feels bad for the guy?
Jaroslaw
Queerty – stories about this man are no longer interesting. When all the stuff about Haggard first broke, and people were having serious dialogues about it there appeared to be possibilities some good would come of it. But the religious right does what it always does: disowns sinners, retreats into their narrow thinking patterns and Ted is just trying to make a living by rehashing and/or adding to his story.
I “vote” to stop giving this man publicity.
scott
Don’t feel bad for him. He, just like a lot like him, is a hypocritical bully. With no integrity, honor, or real human compassion. He is pretty evil.
How can anyone believe anything this man says. Lies upon lies until he can’t tell what’s true and what’s made up. Besides being closeted and having internalized homophobia, he then used his position, the church and whoever could further his own agend. Be it; power, sex, probably money, etc. And to be against anything LGBT positive.
Hypocritical. No integrity. No honor. No use to mankind. He is wasting my air space.
I’m just glad he was exposed. Again.
Darth Paul
@Jaroslaw: No, it’s very interesting (morbidly so) and relevant. Whatever his pathological motivations may be, this parasite is going to continue both his creepy DL ways AND his condemnation of gays. He deserves every bit of exposure and shame we can muster.
BrianZ
OK, it was relevant when the story broke the first time. I do get some good laughs when people are exposed like this. We know Teddy has a freaky side, more power to him. Anyone who thought that there weren’t others really didn’t think it through: One doesn’t “start” your sexual experimentation with whores and cheap drugs … you build up to it right? 🙂 I know I did. (kidding)
This second person to speak up sounds just as sleaxy to me: College tuition wouldn’t be enough to compensate me for “non-consensual” sex wtih my spiritual leader, or anyone else. I think they call that rape.
Perhaps I am a bit jaded but victims who accept hush money and use the media to further their cause really don’t sound like victims to me.
As for Teddy, I do feel sorry for him in some sense. I don’t wish him ill. I can’t say that I wish him well either, all things considered.
In my opinion self-hating queers, like Ted, really need to be reached out to by the LGB community as they have a very powerful story to tell that would resonate with a lot of people. Maybe we should embrace these individuals, to our own use and benefit?
Jaroslaw
Darth Paul- who are we “shaming?” Haggard himself? I don’t think so – He’s apparently making a living at this. Society? No, we have a society or at least very powerful vocal elements of it, that fight Same Sex marriage at every turn, denigrates Gay people and then wonders why they have low self esteem, higher alcoholism/drug use rates, higher teen suicides… etc.
The Religious? No, I’ve already said Ted has “fallen” and he is completely off their radar screen as a disowned sinner.
Explain what positive consequences of repeatedly talking about Ted Haggard does. I said the first time was fine, remember?
Marty
I for one am not delighting in this man’s plight. It puts both homosexuality and Christianity into question for people, and there are enough doubts about both already. His conflicts are pitiable, but the judgment and intolerance he has received from both his church and the GLBT universe are upsetting.
lessthan
I feel bad for the 16 year old kid who felt that if he prayed hard enough, God would take away his “sin.” Haggard is, by all accounts, very charismatic. What would the world have been like if he had accepted his homosexuality?
adzomelk
@lessthan: evangelikal sex clubs would be popping up all across america
LeaderofMen
Ted Haggard has been and still is proof that a person who pursues fundamentalist religion – in the US’s case Christianity – is hiding deep dark secrets.
In this case Ted has always been gay, has always known he’s gay, and has indeed acted on it.
Sorry Ted. Excuses don’t exonerate you. To your deluded masses you can spout all sorts of excuses, but us gay people know all about how hiding in the closet causes one to go completely bonkers.
Come out Ted. Just f*cking come out already. Haven’t you put your family thru enough BS yet? Are you really that nuts?
I guess the answer is yes.
BobP
Fabulous. You couldn’t make this shit up. I simply love watching each and every conservative get exposed for what they really are. They never learn. I wish all of this was on live TV so I could watch him sweat and squirm. Yum.
rick
haggard claims he did nothave sex with this lad and talked about a meeting he had with him with church leaders and his wife ????????????????? WTF! in attendence.
rick
@BrianZ: the boy came forward after he found out about the i’m not really gay hbo movie and haggard flapping his yap endlessly.
Isabellasastar
I know the guy who came forward. He was 24 when Ted Haggard “molested” him. Ted masterbated in front of him. Bad? Yes. But not worth all this stupid news stuff. The guy is 26, fat and sad. Just watch the news clips. He pretty much legally blackmailed the church by showing them a book he had wrote about everything. Everybody just needs to pray for both of them and not judge. Thats for God only.
Marty
@Isabellasastar: you say to pray for both of them and not judge yet you describe the guy as “26, fat and sad”? Strange.
The guy is no twink, but he’s far from “fat”. And “sad” is subjective.
Jaroslaw
Good points, Marty. Very good points. And again, what are these church folks doing on this site anyhow (isabellastar?????)
John
I’d do him.
dvlaries
Matt Cale of ruthlessreviews.com fully predicted this redemption tour over two years ago.
http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/reviews.cfm/id/1161/page/the_power_of_cock_compels_him.html
Isabellasastar
John, You’re probably fat and sad. That’s why you’d do him.