I believe we need to have equality for people under our civil government. And we need to do whatever is necessary so that people are treated equally… Right now we have inequality in America for heterosexual monogamous people in contrast to same-sex-attraction people, and that needs to be worked out by our government—and we need to press that.
Now that’s a totally different subject than what we talk about in a Bible study in a church for practicing believers… I have been a supporter of civil unions since 1993, and I have been an advocate for that, avidly, and have been horribly misrepresented in the press as being a hypocrite on that issue.”
Scandal-plagued pastor Ted Haggard clarifying his position as a marriage-equality advocate, on Good Day L.A.
JG
LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
iDavid
SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!
TMikel
A civil union is NOT eqaul to a civil marriage. We need to separate the religious ceremony from the relgious ritual. And Mr. Haggard, you are a closeted self-loathing gay man and a hypocrite to boot!
Steve
I have seen and read a fair number of Ted Haggard’s sermons over the last two decades.
This is the first I have read about him supporting equal rights for gay people.
Perhaps the evil one is beginning to repent.
Of course, he doesn’t actually support equal rights. When he starts saying that we should be allowed to marry, then he can begin to make that claim.
And, of course, he did a huge amount of work to harm gay people, over a period of two decades. He has about two decades of steady work to do, to try to undo the harm that he did.
Then, I might even believe him.
Chris
As far as I can tell this is true–he was in favor of civil unions back when he was campaigning for a “marriage amendment” and was outed as gay. His stance made no sense to me then though, and makes no sense to me now. Civil unions seem to be favored by two groups, the “this is better than nothing” supporters of marriage equality and people who believe all marriages, gay and straight, should be wholly religious and that the state should recognize only civil unions for all. Neither is consistent with a marriage amendment.
I always assumed that this was a convoluted attempt to harmonize his toxic public religious stance with the fact that he knew he was gay (and wanted a civil union) but thinks that being straight (and married) is more acceptable to God.
steve sydney
He completely disgraced himself years back and yet he still wants attention?
This guy must get hard over his own reflection in the mirror.. GO AWAY!!
dvlaries
Nobody wants the repressive 1950s back again, but Haggard personifies the galling price we must sometimes pay not to live in those days of invisibility again. Else, he would be shamed into anonymous retreat for the rest of his days. Even our ‘family,’ is gonna have its members we’d rather hide in the attic.
Shannon1981
Ted Haggard supports gay rights? Since when? Certainly news to me. If he hadn’t been caught in a same sex sex scandal, he’d still be preaching that it’s a sin. I do not buy a word of this, and never will. The guy is a closeted homo and still married to a woman. How the hell can we trust anything he says?
Cam
Fine, then he would obviously have no problem with Religious marriages having no standing in the country and everybody just having to register for a civil union.
michael
Was this before or after he was busted cracking out in crystal meth while whoring around with a hustled?
What stood out to me when this happened is we heard and heard about his sin of homosexuality but not once did I ever hear anyone mention the sin of adultery.
OrangeBoy
Not saying I like the guy, but these comments seem a bit unfair. Yeah, he was the pastor of a church known for it’s homophobia, but a few years before his outing the dialogue began to change. He started to publicly advocate civil unions, as in, “this is the Christian thing to do!” It seemed to me as if he was trying to change things from the inside.
Saddly, his life exploded. Still, I bet if it hadn’t, Colorado wouldn’t be 20 years behind the curve right now.
Again, don’t really like the guy, but I feel he was trying.
iDavid
With all the interviews he had, not once did I hear the snake say he supported civil unions. He calls mosex a sin (tho he butt fuking loves it) but supports civil unions? No wonder he didn’t say anything, how two faced hypocritical can one asshole get? Oh that’s right, he’s a “man of God”, HUUUUGE competition for hypocritical there. I’m sure they must have secret prize ceremonies for the best hypocritical-cock-sucking preacher/priests in America. They are wallpapering America (with themselves) from my perspective.
DenverBarbie
Fck off, Ted Haggard! You didn’t believe in treating others as equals when you discretely threw one of my gay acquaintances (15 at the time!) out of a youth group. You didn’t believe in treating others as equals when you served as homophobic Pres. Bush’s “spiritual advisor.” You didn’t believe in treating others as equals when you headed the National Association of Evangelicals. And you sure as all hell didn’t believe in treating others as equals when you campaigned (with your mega-wealthy megachurch, no less!) for Amendment 43 (Colorado marriage discrimination amendment).
You must still not believe in equality, as you continue to preach your silly, self-loathing, bigotry-steeped ideas of sexuality. “Heterosexual monogamous people in contrast to same-sex-attraction people”?! Do you not see how such language further propagates inequality?
You just want to get your hands on the gay dollar, and occasionally on the ass of some poor, “spiritually lost,” self-shaming gay man.
Scumbag.
(@OrangeBoy, obligatory defense of Colorado- Colorado is not some assbackwards hick state. A lot of the state is comprised of limo liberals, aged hippies, eccentric catholics, and urban-dwelling hipsters. Colorado Springs is really the only part of Colorado that needs to speed its collective watch ahead 10, 15 years.)
kendoll
…and Al Gore invented the internet.
Otis Criblecoblis
@steve sydney: Exactly Steve …enough of this freak!
the crustybastard
Hey Ted: “separate-but-equal” isn’t equal. If I recall correctly, that issue was settled by the SCOTUS waaaaaay back in 1954 in Brown v Board of Education. No, that decision doesn’t just apply to black people’s school attendance.
Moreover, the government cannot arbitrarily alienate a minority from their fundamental right to marry or their constitutional rights guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment on the basis, “but Jesus…” or “but the Bible…” As a consolation, you religious folks continue to have the unfettered power to tell fags, dykes, race traitors, divorcees, etc, they’re excluded from all your religious sacraments — including wedding ceremonies performed in your church.
Just because I own a pond doesn’t mean I’m legally required to let heterosexuals fish there; but my pond ownership doesn’t confer upon me (or other pond owners) any special right to ban heterosexuals from obtaining fishing licenses from the state so they may fish wherever heterosexual fishing is accommodated.
Robert in NYC
The problem with the marriage equality issue in this country is religion which thinks it controls and owns civil marriage. The sooner that distinction is made, the better. The two are totally different after all. It’s ironic that a secular state issued married license allows people to have a religious marriage. I say let the cults issue their own and we’ll keep the state licenses for all who want them, regardless of orientation, with a preclusion that all who are issued a license from a religious cult are denied the federal and state benefits that come through having such a license once the ceremony is performed. That will put the nail in the coffin of religious bigots trying to dictate who can and cannot have a civil marriage which is none of the damned business to begin with.
david
I’m sure he has no problems with civil unions, why would he? Christians would love to keep gays separate and unequal.
Mike Jones
Mike Jones here. I am the guy who exposed Ted Haggard. He compared a Gay Pride Parade to a “murder’s pride parade”. When I exposed Ted there where to amendments being voted on. One was to amend the Colorado constitution to ban gay marriage. He supported that. The other was called “Partner Benefits” He opposed that. Do not believe him when he says he was a big gay rights supporter. WRONG
TASTEY GOODIES
@Shannon1981: TRU DAT, SHANNON!
Ogre Magi
I am sooooo sick of Christians and all of their crap!
JoeyO'H
Haggard should keep his mouth shut about anything. I too am sick and tired of these TV Christians thinking we really give a flying shit of what they think or have to say.
Ted should just go away… He is a disgrace to the human race. Don’t go away mad, just go away.