Ted Haggard: Neither Gay Nor Straight

Following his gay sex scandal, former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard says he can’t put his sexual identity into “stereotypical boxes.”

Haggard resigned as president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals and was fired from the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., in November 2006 amid allegations that he paid a male prostitute for sex and used methamphetamine.

In a written apology at the time, Haggard confessed to a long battle against feelings contrary to his beliefs and admitted buying the drugs but said he never used them.

Haggard still says it’s God’s “perfect plan” that marriage be between a man and a woman, but when asked about his sexual identity, he says, “I think sexuality is confusing and complex.  I am totally completely satisfied with the relationship with my wife now, but I went through a wandering in the wilderness time, and I just thank God I’m on the other side of that.”  Haggard goes on to say,  “The stereotypical boxes don’t work for me. My story’s got some gray areas in it. And, of course, I’m sad about that but it’s the reality.”

As John at Americablog remarks, “Never thought I’d heard an evangelical say that the concepts of gay and straight are simply stereotypes.”

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.