I just wanted to write out a few thoughts, and offer my condolences to the family of Tammy Faye; a kind, gentle, beautiful, honorable, and wonderful soul. Tammy, you will be missed. You embraced the gay community, despite the hate the Christian community wanted you to push onto us. You helped people see that we were just people, just like everyone else, and there was no need to hate us because of who we are; and we love you for that. I personally am saddened by her loss, because it is saddest when the world loses someone who truly understood love and compassion; and did not discriminate how she shared it.
May you rest in peace, you sweet, beautiful soul.
I am just glad that you no longer have to suffer, because you definitely deserve eternal happiness; as you have been a shining example of what true Christianity is supposed to be about: acceptance and love.
Thank you for caring about us; I hope that you know that we certainly cared for you in return.
You will be missed, Tammy Faye.
I’m with ya D – RIP Tammy you have suffered long enough.
Glad you are feeling better – Grandma said to tell you hello – we had lunch at K&S today. She looked good and said she was feeling better.
I probably became most familiar with Tammy from her season on the Surreal Life. She seemed to have become a truely sweet person. Seeing her recently on Larry King was very sad.
Bless you Tammy Faye! I saw her on Larry King and it broke my heart. She was truly a wonderful person and deserves whatever the Lord is handing over to her in heaven.
A kind, gentle, beautiful, honorable, and wonderful soul who spent millions of dollars of church money on her lavish lifestyle. Did she ever apologize for it? Did she ever give any of the money back?
You’re right, she didn’t discriminate how she shared her love. If the paycheck was good and TV cameras were on, she’d be nice to anyone.
A real American hero. And certainly more worthy of a heartfelt eulogy than all the people who died yesterday who weren’t money-grubbing publicity whores.
Praise the Lord and pass the collection tray!
Wow, Andy, her body isn’t even cold in the ground yet. What a kind person you are; well, actually, you are not. I mean, even if you don’t have a level of respect for her, I would at least hope that you could respect someone who suffered and died from cancer; whoever they are. Additionally, because I didn’t identify with each person that died this weekend (or everyone during the time it took to type out this response), does it mean that I don’t care or think that they are less worthy? No.
I recommend you look a little deeper into her life and her personal involvement in the whole PTL scandals and her actual involvement in the whole process. You might find that she isn’t the money-grubber you describe her as.
I highly recommend seeing “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”. Not only is a great documentary, but highlights the fact that in many aspects, she wasn’t involved with the whole scandal.
Yes, I’m sure that RuPaul-narrated documentary made by some of her fans with her full cooperation really laid bare the ugly truth.
Bottom line: She spent stolen money with gusto, but it’s okay with you because she was “campy”, hugged gay people in front of cameras, and had a tv show with the wacky neighbor from Too Close For Comfort.
I guess there’s no flaw that a well-placed rainbow flag can’t hide.
Wow, Andy, you and atlmalcontent are bordering on launching the anti-gay for gay (but not really gay) movement on us, aren’t you? I mean, you both seem to be against everything gay, except for the minor “being gay” thing; everything else is too much, right? Ugh.
The FACT is, you don’t know her, her story, or what ACTUALLY happened; just like the rest of us. We only know from what we saw on TV, and from what was portrayed in the media. Based on what I saw, and what was portrayed in the media, she was more of a victim in the PTL situation, and as such, I don’t see any need to harp on that as a character flaw of hers.
The real fact of the matter is that she was very publicly open pro-gay Christian, who openly acknowledged support for the gay community, despite Christian opposition. The FACT is, that is important to many of us gays, and that is what matters; someone we care about died.
If you want to focus on the rest, fine, but that doesn’t distract from the good that she did do. Some people really only want to focus on finding something wrong with everything; which is something I will never understand.
You’re right.
It’s “anti-gay” to call a thief a thief.
It’s “anti-gay” to pay more heed to a federal court case than to a RuPaul narrated documentary.
And it’s okay to steal money if you hug gay people on TV.
That’s for setting me, um, straight.
Uh, whatever…
Basically, you used the “gay flag” as the reason that she somehow wasn’t bad, and I called that part of your demeaning anything “gay” as a part of your anti-gay movement. (think criticizing the “gay movement” because you don’t like pink boas and leather thongs).
I fail to see, however, that you have a real concrete argument that can substantiate that you do, in fact, know more about Tammy Faye and her real involvement in PTL; because you have not shown that you know anything other than your own perceptions, which were created by the press. Again, I chose to focus on her positive attributes that I know to be factual, and you, again, chose to find fault with something in her; regardless if it were actually anything other than media fluff.
You can’t prove she was a thief.
The court case saw Jim Bakker behind bars; not Tammy Faye. If you put this on her because of her husband’s actions, that is ignorant. You can’t prove she stole any money; again, you are running with what the media said without backing it up with any hard facts. Knowing that you consider yourself a journalist, I find that to be completely shocking that you are willing to just accept something that you cannot substantiate, and then further, use that to slander a person who just died of cancer. That’s pretty sick if you ask me, dude.
Tammy was a unlikely hero and an inspiration to me. She was a true individual and authentic person. She had the ability to unify people. She demonstrated the amazing power of unconditional love and forgiveness throughout her life. She made the world a better place. I will miss her.
And what did I say? Criticize the gay movement, and you’re anti-gay?? You’ve got quite a nerve saying that.
I’m just anti-stereotype, anti-cliche … anti-Duane. There’s lots of gay kids out there who see nothing else in the media but people like you: whiny, self-absorbed queens with a show tune in their heart and indignation always on the brain. They don’t want to grow up to be like you. They want to be individuals, not caricatures. I was once one of those kids. I would’ve appreciated knowing there were people out there more like me.
Besides, I thought you had the power to make people change. What’s stopping you?
MMMmm… okay, let’s see; you are the self-professed “I hate everything gay except for when I get to have sex with another guy”, but that’s not at all anti-gay? You do nothing but criticize dude, if you really weren’t anti-gay, you would be able to find SOMETHING positive about queer anything; which I have never seen from you.
And again, the reason you are so anti-Duane, as you put it, is because you can’t be me! You are clearly obsessed with me, and it is quite sad that you can’t find any other joy in your life than through criticizing everything that you can’t have, be, or represent. I would hate to have to go out to eat with you, because I can almost guarantee that you would hate something about every place that I would pick! You are far too critical of EVERYTHING, not just me, even though, you are so obsessed with me, that you do focus a lot of your energy on me. It is kind of sad, really, that you have nothing better to do than to get your good feelings by trying to pick on me. Oh well, if it makes you feel better, I guess.
Don’t be so prickly, Duane. I’ve directed some loyal readers to your blog. I particularly love how you pretended that your poems were to be taken at face value, when in fact you’re just parodying bad poetry. Brilliant.
And BTW, everyone has heard the “you’re obsessed with me line.” Over and over again. You must really believe it — not a shock, a self-absorbed type convinced that not only can he change the behavior of his friends, but deeply effect strangers, too. Those are somoe powers you have.
I know, my life is an empty nothing without my regular dose of Duane criticism. Thank you for allowing just a little sunshine into my tar papered shack of a soul.
You say these things over and over, yet, here you are, over, and over, and over again. You do nothing but prove me right. You would have nothing to do with me if you weren’t so obsessed with me. I think that you spend more time on my website than I do. I am glad that you enjoy it so much, actually.
And as for the poetry, I wrote those, and they are real poems. If you don’t like them, I don’t care, I didn’t write them for you. You are the eternal critic; which I can figure allows you to focus less on what is wrong with you and your own life. Distracting yourself from your own insecurities and short comings is difficult work, and I am glad that my little piece of the internets is such an effective tool in your daily struggle. Make fun of the poems all you want, mr. high and mighty, all it does is reinforce your obsessive behavior that you love to deny. Sigh… I wish you could find a life, but this seems to work for you, so if it makes you feel better, I am happy for you, I guess.
If only I could slather myself in your decadence.
Dare to dream, little one.