🚀 go-pugleaf

Release Date:   March 9, 1995
Contact:        Dawn Rankin-Phelps
                (804)543-2460

Pat Robertson Meets with Dr. Mel White in Jail

"Robertson said he was meeting with me out of compassion for my parents for
their son," White explained.  "That's okay by me.  Thousands of other parents
now have hope that Robertson will care about their gay and lesbian children
too." 
On the 23rd day of his prison fast, Dr. Mel White finally got his meeting
with CBN founder, Pat Robertson.  White, 15 pounds lighter, bearded and
gaunt, met with Robertson and his spokesman, Gene Kapp, in a visitors cell at
the Virginia Beach Correctional Facility.  
The meeting arranged by Virginia Beach City Sheriff, Frank Drew, was "Brief,
cordial and specific," said White.  "I asked Pat to acknowledge and condemn
publicly the hate crimes against gays and lesbians specifically and to meet
with a delegation from PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) to
hear the human side of this tragic story."
After his surprise visit, Robertson dropped the trespassing charge against
White, who was escorted from the city jail by Sheriff Drew.  White paid no
fine and posted no bail.  "I'm free to come back to visit Robertson again,"
White said grinning, "and will be back," he promised.  "This is a victory for
everyone.  Before today, Pat has never agreed to meet with gay or lesbian
Christians.  I'm hoping this is the beginning of a constructive dialogue
between us."  
Bearing Witness, the interfaith group of gays, lesbians and their allies who
organized to support White's fast and to maintain the daily vigil at CBN,
will monitor Pat's 700 Club broadcasts, his print material and his fund
raising letters.  "We are going to be sure that Pat acknowledges and condemns
the hate crimes against God's gay and lesbian children," said Dawn
Rankin-Phelps, a Bearing Witness organizer.  "And we're already putting
together the PFLAG delegation that will meet with Pat to discuss with him the
rise of hate crimes against gays and lesbians in this country and how the
false rhetoric leads to these crimes."  
During his 23 days in isolation, White and the Bearing Witness team received
over 12,000 letters, cards, telegrams of support.  "There is no way of
knowing how many faxes and letters Pat received urging him to meet with us,"
said Ms. Rankin-Phelps, "but it must have made a difference.  Pat went to jail
to visit Mel," she said exuberantly.  "No one but Mel actually believed he 
would do it."
Today, following a brief press conference, White lead Bearing Witness
supporters numbering over 100 across Indian River Road to CBN property where
he presented security with a dozen white roses and a card of thanks for Pat
Robertson.  They were met by Donald Spitz and his group of counterprotestors
who bore signs of protest.  After the presentation, White led the delegation
peacefully back across the road and enjoyed lunch with the crowd.  
For information or interviews with Dr. Mel White, members of the Bearing
Witness team, call (804) 543-2460 or (804) 480-8612.  After Sunday, March 12,
contact Dr. White through the Cathedral of Hope MCC, Dallas, Texas (214)
351-1901 or the UFMCC office in Los Angeles (213) 464-5100.  Members of 
Bearing Witness will continue to be available at (804) 543-2460.

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More info including news reports is available at http://www.casti.com/mel
-- 
Scott Safier                                 Robotics Institute
internet: corwin+@cmu.edu                    Carnegie Mellon Univ.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu:8001/afs/cs/user/scotts/mosaic/homepage.html
"Small is the number of them that see with their own eyes and feel with their own heart." -- Albert Einstein