Jerry's Kids...How Falwell empowered the GLBT community

Jerry’s Kids. Perhaps you initially thought I was referring to Jerry Lewis and his kids?

No, this is different. We are the "new" set of "Jerry's Kids." This is about how Rev. Jerry Falwell, aptly labeled in 2000 by John McCain as an "agent of intolerance," actually empowered an entire community (includiing allies) to discover their voice.

Where would we all be without Jerry Falwell? Let's check out the "bigger picture," which in this case is a powerful one when we get beyond our anger at Jerry Falwell's toxic rhetoric that was continually spewed against our community.

This is what we know. The connecting threads weave the irony of how, in the end result, Jerry Falwell empowered the very community of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people he attempted to denigrate.

Yes, for all of his anti-gay remarks and dishing of mis-information (of which he was also a victim), Jerry Falwell probably single-handedly introduced more people in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally community to one another. Without him, many of us would have never known each other, as our lives were woven into our individual communities in different parts of the country.

God bless him.

A personal story often best explains situations, and this is no exception. Having presented this past week at Esprit, the transgender conference in Port Angeles, I shared that I would not have been there if it weren't for Jerry Falwell.

What makes me say this?

Without Jerry Falwell, Soulforce would have never been birthed as a response from Rev. Mel White and Gary Nixon to his oppression of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

Click here for list of podcasts and listen to our podcast interview with Mel White.

Without Jerry Falwell, I would have never been a part of the initial Soulforce gathering in 1999, and therefore would have never met Mel and Gary.

Without Jerry Falwell, I would have not met transgender woman Judy Osborne, who I met in Lynchburg in 1999 when I took a seat at a lunch counter.

Without Jerry Falwell, I would have never met and married my spouse, Robynne Sapp. I met Mary Lou and Bob Wallner (evangelical Christians who lost their lesbian daughter to suicide) in Lynchburg in 1999. That ignited their spiritual journey in a new way, leading Mary Lou to write a book, The Slow Miracle of Transformation. They speak at conferences throughout the nation. At one of those, Robynne met Mary Lou, who was the keynote speaker. As they say, the rest is history when Mary Lou introduced me to Robynne.

Without Jerry Falwell, Roby and I would have never taken our year-long journey, Gay Into Straight America, committed to bridging the polarization in our country regarding people's understanding about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. We would never be planning the second project of Stand UP Speak OUT, Inc. In 2008, we will embark on that project, The Great American Roadcast, and we will recall Rev. Jerry Falwell as we seek to build inclusive community in our country and beyond.

Without Jerry Falwell, countless gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and ally brothers and sisters across the country would have never met. That much is a fact.

Shame on all the misinformation that Jerry Falwell perpetuated against our community, and for all the horrific tragedies that occurred because of the misinformation. In the end result, however, we found our voice and our empowerment through looking him in the eyes, and saying, “No more! I am who I am!” For that reason, our gratefulness should override our anger.

Jerry Falwell is a man who used the misinformation that was taught to him to teach others that same misinformation. His death means that one less individual is perpetuating that misinformation about a group of people. Jerry grew to have a different understanding about race; he never crossed the abyss of his misunderstanding regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. A teacher is a teacher, and sometimes the information is bad. Beware. That is how it was with Jerry.

I hold Jerry Falwell accountable for the spiritual violence he perpetuated. I am simultaneously thankful both for free speech and the consequences of free speech. It allows us to grow and evolve.

As Rev. Mel White often said about Rev. Falwell while he was alive, "Jerry is sincere, but he is sincerely wrong."

He was then, and it remains so today, even in the shadow of his death. But let us celebrate the inspiration and mirror he provided for our own transformation, bringing forth our voices in celebration of ourselves.

God bless you, Jerry Falwell. May you rest in peace, a peace that escaped you in this life. For diminishing and denigrating others can never bring peace.

The light in me sees the light in you, Jerry Falwell...Dotti