Mel White’s “Stranger at the Gate”

If you are LGBTQ and struggling, I can only imagine what you face day in day out. Difficult and cruel words can be leveled at you daily, and you certainly didn’t ask for any of this! You can’t even go through the normal exploration of holding hands as a teen (the way your friends do) because there is too much backlash.

If you are straight and struggling to understand homosexuality, today’s post may be eye-opening for you as well.

I recently came across Mel White’s Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America, the story of his extraordinary journey describing his fundamentalist Baptist home, his coming out as gay, and his life as an advocate. Mel White has an impressive resume, having written many books and movies; he ghostwrote speeches and several books for fellow evangelicals, including Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Billy Graham.

Several people recently have recommended Stranger at the Gate to me. Then I came across a series of YouTube clips of Mel reading the book in its entirety. He tells his story, along with the story of how a hostile climate towards gays was begun in the 70s. (Hostility towards gays is actually a learned behavior. I was shocked to learn through Stranger at the Gate how this flame of hostility was furthered in my own lifetime.)

It is worth every riveting moment.

This extraordinary treat of Mel reading his book is right here on Youtube. Please enjoy!