I remember a conversation I had with my step-father in which he told me that retired Christian singer Ray Boltz was gay. Surprised, I did some research and found that in 2008, a DC-based LGBT newspaper, the Washington Blade, ran an article in which Boltz officially came out of the closet. Although the Blade’s website no longer has the article, I found this editorial discussing it. In the interview, Boltz says, “I’d denied it since I was a kid. I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, ‘I’m still gay…’”
Ray Boltz wasn’t the first Christian music artist to come of out the closet and he wasn’t the last. A year later, gospel artist and pastor Tonex (real name Anthony Williams) came out on “The Lexi Show,” (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) a Christian entertainment show. In the interview, Williams revealed that he had been molested twice as a child, but he doesn’t attribute that his decision to “come out.” Unlike Boltz, Williams said that accepting his homosexuality wasn’t a struggle: “People like to blame the struggle on molestation. No. Just say you’re attracted to men; be honest.”
In April, former Christian singer Jennifer Knapp released a new album after a 7-year hiatus and announced that not only is she a lesbian, but she was in a same-sex relationship for 8 years. According to an interview with Christianity Today magazine, Knapp decided to come out after she made the decision to leave Christian music. Although she says, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” she still fears that “…there are people I care about within the church community who would seek to throw me out, simply because of who I’ve chosen to spend my life with.”
What’s interesting is that while both Knapp and Tonex stated that they chose to be gay, Boltz says, “…if this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live.” However, in 2007, Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the Human Genome Project, announced that “…sexual orientation is genetically influenced but not hardwired by DNA, and that whatever genes are involved represent predispositions, not predeterminations.” This means that it’s possible to choose your sexuality.
This was certainly the case for gospel singer Donnie McClurkin. In his book “Eternal Victim/Eternal Victor,” McClurkin revealed that he struggled with homosexuality after being molested by male relatives twice during childhood. Unlike Tonex, McClurkin says that he turned away from his homosexual desires through his faith. These statements have stirred controversy. For instance, his participation in a gospel concert for then-presidential nominee Barack Obama was met with protests from gay rights groups.
The fact that some famous Christian artists are gay may seem surprising, especially since Christianity teaches that homosexuality is a sin. In Tonex’s case, being a pastor and gospel artist allows him to teach about acceptance. For Boltz and Knapp, it’s more about reconciling their faith with their lifestyle than being a public figure. Boltz says that he feels closer to God because of his decision, but for Knapp, she feels that she has to justify her faith because of her decision. This comes to show that “coming out” affects everyone, including the Christian community.
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