By: Ryan Shaw Re: Rev. White 1/2 Contact: Robin Kane, 202-332-6483, ext. 3311, rakngltf@ao

By: Ryan Shaw
Re: Rev. White 1/2

Contact: Robin Kane, 202-332-6483, ext. 3311, rakngltf@aol.com

STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
ON THE ARREST OF REV. MEL WHITE

Washington, DC -- February 16, 1995 -- The following statement was issued by
the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) in response to the arrest of
the Rev. Mel White at the headquarters of the Christian Broadcasting Network
(CBN) on February 15. Rev. White, a former ghostwriter for Pat Robertson, is
currently with the Ministry of Justice of the Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches -- approximately 300 churches that minister
predominately to gay, lesbian and bisexual people. Rev. White gave a keynote
address in November at the annual conference of NGLTF, attended by 1,200
activists.

 We deplore the arrest and undignified treatment of Rev. Mel White by the
security forces of Pat Robertson and the Christian Broadcasting Network. Rev.
White and a coalition of clergy sought to meet with Robertson to educate the
CBN founder (and Rev. White's former boss) about the destructive and divisive
impact of Robertson's
anti-gay/lesbian rhetoric. White's arrest and imprisonment reveals that Pat
Robertson is threatened by the truth, the truth about gay and lesbian people,
the truth as told to him by fellow people of faith.

 Pat Robertson's "Christian Coalition" is neither. When faced with a coalition
of Christians who support tolerance and justice for all, Robertson cowers
behind a wall of security to protect his fortress of bigotry. The same tactics
used to incarcerate Rev. White are used in a much grander scale to deny gay,
lesbian and bisexual Americans full justice. Pat Robertson's rhetoric of hate
and anti-democratic propaganda endangers the lives of gay people.

 We support Rev. White's fast and demand that he be immediately released from
jail. We urge Pat Robertson to meet with Rev. White -- his former employee --
and the coalition of clergy so that he can learn first hand the pain and
discrimination lesbian, gay and bisexual people face as a result of his
rhetoric. And we call on clergy of conscious and all people of faith to
challenge Pat Robertson's politics of oppression.

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