TWO Calls on Authorities to Investigate Ted Haggard’s Former Church, Says Hush Money Scandal Emerges From New Life’s Closet

NEW YORK, NY – Truth Wins Out (TWO) today called on Colorado officials to investigate New Life Church, after the Associated Press revealed that New Life paid money to keep a male volunteer from publicly disclosing a romantic affair with the church’s former minister Ted Haggard.

According to the AP, New Life’s current Senior Pastor, Brady Boyd, said that the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the relationship publicly.

“Until conservative churches stop shaming gay people and learn to accept them, we will see more tawdry scandals,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “These calamities are a direct result of the closet.”

Rev. Boyd denied that New Life paid hush money and said, “Our desire was to help him. Here was a young man who wanted to get on with his life. We considered it more compassionate assistance — certainly not hush money.”

TWO called on Colorado officials to look into the matter.

“Authorities should investigate to ensure that this volunteer was not manipulated or coerced into silence,” said Besen. “The leadership of New Life has little credibility and should not simply be taken at their word. At a minimum, Boyd should resign for using his position of power to pressure a vulnerable member of his congregation into silence.”

In 2006, Denver escort Mike Jones disclosed that he and Haggard had a three-year relationship where money was exchanged for sex. Shortly after, Haggard stepped down from New Life. Next week, HBO will air a documentary on the rise and fall of Haggard. The disgraced minister will be promoting the show in media appearances throughout the week.

There is speculation that the HBO special spurred the volunteer to contact a Colorado Springs television station to discuss the situation.

Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community against anti-gay lies. TWO also counters the so-called “ex-gay” industry and educates America about the lives of GLBT people.

Web: www.TruthWinsOut.org

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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/two-calls-on-…

Amid Sex Scandal, Portland’s Gay Mayor Asked To Resign

Portland’s openly gay mayor, Sam Adams, was asked to resign by a representative from the Portland Police Association over the revelation that he covered up a sexual affair with a teenage boy during his mayoral campaign.

Adams, 45, humbled himself and asked for forgiveness at a Monday press conference, where he admitted that his long-standing denial of having a sexual relationship with 18-year-old Beau Breedlove was not true.

“I want to apologize to the people of Portland for my dishonesty,” Adams said. “I made a mistake. This was clearly an error. I clearly messed this one one up.”

A representative from the Portland Police Association asked for Adams to resign, saying that his actions had left him at risk of “blackmail,” reports The Oregonian.

“Had they attempted to blackmail me, I would have taken the appropriate steps,” Adams responded.

Rumors of the affair surfaced in 2007 during the mayoral campaign. Adams’ long-standing response has been to dismiss those reports as a “nasty smear.”

In a Thursday interview with a reporter from the Willamette Week, the mayor was confronted with evidence the newspaper had gathered over several months concerning the affair, including statements from several of Breedlove’s friends who said the young man had confided in them that the two shared an intimate relationship. Adams remained steadfast in his denial.

See Amid Sex Scandal, Portland’s Gay Mayor Asked To Resign
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