'I don't hate you. I just think that you're being a pervert. ... God is angry with your kind of moral behavior.' — The Rev. Jerry Falwell to gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., Dec. 2, 2002, on CNN. Falwell died May 15 at age 73.
'He is purple—the gay pride color; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle—the gay pride symbol. The character, whose voice is that of a boy, has been found carrying a red purse in many episodes and has become a favorite character among gay groups worldwide. ... Role-modeling the gay lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of children. These subtle depictions are no doubt intentional and parents are warned to be alert to these elements of the series.' — The Rev. Jerry Falwell outing the Teletubbies' Tinky Winky in 1999. Falwell died May 15 at age 73.
'I'm not going to pretend I'm sadder than I am. There were late nights during the dark times when I wished to hear news like this. I'd be lying if I denied that. I don't feel that way anymore. I like to think I've grown over the years, gotten past all that pain. But at the end of the day, I'm not terribly sad, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. Jerry Falwell was a divisive person, a hateful person, and what I've tried to be all about, in the Teletubbies days and since then, has been love. I've got to keep it that way. I don't want anybody feeling good about it when it's my time for Tubby bye-bye.' — Tinky Winky, speaking to Salon.com from his home in London's Islington neighborhood, May 16.
'It is truly a miracle that I am alive today. This is not an exaggeration. I sincerely believe that certain persons fully intended to take my life.' — The Rev. Jerry Falwell in a 1992 fundraising letter after what he described as an angry mob of 2,000 homosexuals stormed Los Angeles' Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel chanting, 'We want Falwell.' Falwell said he hid behind a partition in the kitchen until police removed the members of Queer Nation and 'Fighting Fairies.' He said a waiter stood by his side praying for him. L.A. police confirmed that a marauding band of homosexuals burst into the Hollywood Roosevelt looking for Falwell, but said officers had removed the minister from the building well before the mob entered. Falwell died May 15 at age 73.
'I underestimated America. I braced myself for the wrath of a nation under God. I imagined that it would be a firestorm, that it would be some insane number of letters demanding my deportation or my death. And in fact, 95 percent of the correspondence I've had have been overwhelmingly supportive and positive. But I will say that the 5 percent that I've had have been unbelievably, viscerally, frighteningly negative.' — Newly out former National Basketball Association player John Amaechi to the Log Cabin Republicans' annual convention, as quoted by the Associated Press, May 6.
'It's hard for me to hide the fact that I am no fan of this administration, as much for their foreign policy as for their stance on GLBT issues. However, I am no fan of the Democratic candidates who take four days before they decide that Gen. Pace's comments [ that 'homosexual acts ... are immoral' ] were not very nice.' — Newly out former National Basketball Association player John Amaechi to the Log Cabin Republicans' annual convention, as quoted by the Associated Press, May 6.
'Probably 30 of my former [ NBA ] teammates have my e-mail and my telephone contacts and probably 16 or so of those I was in regular touch with and there are probably 10 people who I have [ on instant messenger ] . And zero—nobody—who's active in the NBA has been in touch with me since the day I came out, despite the fact that most of them knew I was gay in the first place.' — Newly out former National Basketball Association player John Amaechi to the Log Cabin Republicans' annual convention, as quoted by the Associated Press, May 6.
'I think as long as we're alive there's a chance [ of a reunion tour with Diana Ross ] . I just hope that we're not too ugly, you know, too old. It's something that I would like to happen, but I do understand that it takes more than just what I would like—Diana's got to want to do this as well. If she ever wants to do it, I'll be there.' — The Supremes' Mary Wilson to the Palm Springs gay magazine The Bottom Line, April 27.
—Assistance: Bill Kelley
