Holy Terror: Lies the Christian Right Tells Us to Deny Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Equality

A deeply religious man who sees fundamentalism as "evangelical Christian orthodoxy gone cultic," Mel White believes that it is not a stretch to say that the true goals of today's fundamentalists are to break down the wall that separates church and state, superimpose their "moral values" on the US Constitution, replace democracy with theocratic rule, and ultimately create a new "Christian America" in their image. As he writes, "These are not just Neocons dressed in religious drag. These men see themselves as gurus called by God to rescue America from unrighteousness. They believe this is a Christian nation that must be returned forcibly to its Christian roots."White is also a gay man who made news when he came out more than fourteen years ago. He has gained a unique understanding of the fundamentalist agenda because, since the fall of "godless Communism," homosexuality and abortion have become the primary targets through which fundamentalists have created fear, raised money, and mobilized recruits. Originally published in hardcover three years ago under the title Religion Gone Bad , Holy Terror documents the thirty-year war that fundamentalist Christians have waged against gays and lesbians and offers dramatic, heartbreaking evidence that fundamentalist leaders are waging nothing less than a "holy war" against sexual minorities.Mel White is the president and co-founder of Soulforce, an organization committed to ending religious-based bigotry against gay men and lesbians in America. The recipient of the ACLU's National Civil Liberties Award, he lives in Lynchburg, Virginia.