Mel White
| Mel White | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
James Melville White July 26, 1940 Santa Clara, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | author, clergyman, activist |
| Spouse(s) | Lyla Lee Loehr (1962–1982) Gary Nixon (2008–present) |
| Children | 2 |
James Melville "Mel" White (born July 26, 1940) is an American clergyman and author. White was a behind-the-scenes member of the Evangelical Protestant movement through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, writing film and television specials and ghostwriting auto-biographies for televangelists such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Billy Graham. After years of writing for the Christian right, he came out as gay in 1994. and devoted himself full-time to minister to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people, also writing extensively on the subject of gay Christians.
In 1962, White graduated from Warner Pacific College. That same year, he married his wife, Lyla Lee Loehr. They had two children, one of whom is the actor/comedian and screenwriter Mike White.
After receiving his BA from Warner Pacific College, then graduating with an MA in communications from the University of Portland, White followed with graduate work in communications and film at University of Southern California, UCLA, and Harvard. He received his Doctorate of Ministry from, and was a professor of communications and preaching for over a decade at Fuller Theological Seminary. During this time he also worked as an evangelical pastor.
After their marriage, White admitted to his wife that he had always been attracted to men. He embarked on a long process of attempted cures for his homosexuality, including psychotherapy, prayer, electroconvulsive therapy, and exorcism. None of these techniques changed his attraction to men, and after he attempted suicide, he and his wife agreed to an amicable divorce. His son Mike is bisexual.
...
Wikipedia