Over the Rainbow: - Wrestling With Angels

In 1992 the voters of Colorado had passed Amendment 2 that denied homosexuals special
legal privileges. Will Perkins, the man who helped get Amendment 2 on the Colorado ballot,
attended the Village Seven Presbyterian Church. In the middle of a Sunday service in 1993 a
dozen homosexual activists leaped out of their seats and bombarded the parishioners with
condoms. Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs had rocks thrown through windows, dead
animal parts were left on the ministry’s front door, and flyers were posted on light poles in
front of the ministry and throughout the downtown area calling for conservative Christians to
be thrown to the lions. (Sears and Osten, 2003:127, 156).
Soulforce, Inc.: We Will Split You
Soulforce, Inc. was a roving protest group of multi-denominational gays, lesbians and
transgendered persons committed to nonviolent action with a goal to challenge church
doctrines on homosexuality. The organization was founded in 1998 by the Rev. Mel White who
had co-authored books in the 1980’s with Evangelical elites including Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell
and Pat Robertson. After twenty-five years of trying to “cure” himself, the father of two left his
wife and moved in with his male partner. In the summer of 2000, protests were organized to
disrupt the general assemblies of the Methodist, Baptist, and Episcopalian denominations.
Working with activists within the denominations, Soulforce staged demonstrations wearing T-
shirts lettered with the words THIS DEBATE MUST END-WE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN TOO. White’s
attitude was “We don’t debate anymore. Change your policies or we’re going to split you apart
and leave.” (Van Biema, 2000).
Denominations Divided
The demonstrations brought fervent opposition from evangelical forces within the
churches. The publisher of the conservative Methodist journal entitled Good News, said, “We
don’t feel good about outsiders coming in and using intimidation and pressure on our delegates
for something that ought to be a family affair” (Van Biema, 2000). Although 1,300 United
Methodist clergy had signed a statement supporting covenant ceremonies for homosexual
partnerships, the vote by the delegates at the 2000 Methodist Conference rejected by a twothirds
majority any effort to alter the denomination’s marriage centered sexual morality or
sexual standards for ordination (Tooley, 2000).
Episcopalians were also divided by the debates on homosexuality. In 1998 conservative
members challenged liberal movements in the church who supported homosexual practices .
They formed a reform movement called Concerned Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal Church,
Over the Rainbow: The Gay Battle for Social Reorganization of America. 2010
Dr. M. L. Coppock
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