More Bad News Gospel
NewsPlanet,
Wednesday, May 27, 1998
Wichita Falls, TX--Wichita Falls, Texas First Baptist Church pastor
Robert Jeffress' efforts to censor two books for children about children with gay and
lesbian parents, has backfired. A member of his congregation had checked out "Heather
Has Two Mommies" and "Daddy's Roommate" from the Kemp Public Library and
brought them to Jeffress, who paid for instead of returning them, calling the books
immoral for condoning and advocating homosexual acts. His church's Board of Deacons
supported his stand. However, the Associated Press reported May 21 that in the wake of the
attention he'd brought to the books, including numerous letters published in the Wichita
Falls "Times Record News," requests to check them out had skyrocketed, while
campaigns by PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), GLSEN (Gay,
Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and others had at that point increased the
libraries' stock of them by 15.
Undeterred, Jeffress urged people to "see what their tax dollars are
supporting." He compared his campaign to limits on the advertising of tobacco to
children, because he believes that homosexual acts are "responsible for the deaths of
tens of thousands every year through AIDS."
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