mikeschmike
05-21-2007, 12:54 PM
http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=4055&navpath=/entertainment/
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner has thousands and thousands of gay fans, and so many of them have sent her their best wishes after learning last week of her sad health news.
Tammy Faye's longtime manager, Joe Spotts, is tickled and touched by them all -- particularly by a fellow Palm Springs resident's proposal to rename a street there "Tammy Faye Way." Spotts plans to bring the messages to her soon in Charlotte, N.C., where she lives with her family.
The televangelist and gay icon passed a bad weekend, Spotts said Monday afternoon.
"She was going to do a phone interview with Larry King tonight, but is not up to it," he told PlanetOut. "When she can't even talk on the telephone to Larry King, she's in bad shape.
"But who knows what this means. She's been bad before, and then three days later will be out shopping."
He shared with PlanetOut why Tammy Faye is special to him, as to so many others:
"In the early days of AIDS, before it was even called AIDS, everybody in the gay community loved Tammy Faye. We all saw the innate sweetness and love.
Then she absolutely astonished us in one moment. I happened to be watching that day."
To say that gays had yet to come to grips with the epidemic would be an understatement.
"My bridge partner, Francis, had a son who lived with his partner in New York and San Francisco, and Frank (the son) was the first person I had known who died of AIDS. I would make excuses not to go to Francis' house, simply because Frank had been there. That's how scared I was, how scared everybody was.
But I was watching ("PTL") that day, and there's Tammy Faye with this thin, tall man. And she says, 'This is George. George has AIDS. And God loves George, and George loves God, and we love George.'
"And she threw her arms around him in a big hug, and she kissed him and kissed him and kissed him again.
"I cannot overestimate the overwhelming effect this had."
Two things about Tammy: "She never made a move for effect. Never put a spin on anything. She is what she is." Another thing: "She's brilliant. She's Mensa. If you meet her you know."
Love this woman! I hope she does not have to suffer through this horrible cancer much longer.
If only the other religious figures on TV were like her. You think Falwell would have acted that way towards an AIDS patient? Doubt it.
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner has thousands and thousands of gay fans, and so many of them have sent her their best wishes after learning last week of her sad health news.
Tammy Faye's longtime manager, Joe Spotts, is tickled and touched by them all -- particularly by a fellow Palm Springs resident's proposal to rename a street there "Tammy Faye Way." Spotts plans to bring the messages to her soon in Charlotte, N.C., where she lives with her family.
The televangelist and gay icon passed a bad weekend, Spotts said Monday afternoon.
"She was going to do a phone interview with Larry King tonight, but is not up to it," he told PlanetOut. "When she can't even talk on the telephone to Larry King, she's in bad shape.
"But who knows what this means. She's been bad before, and then three days later will be out shopping."
He shared with PlanetOut why Tammy Faye is special to him, as to so many others:
"In the early days of AIDS, before it was even called AIDS, everybody in the gay community loved Tammy Faye. We all saw the innate sweetness and love.
Then she absolutely astonished us in one moment. I happened to be watching that day."
To say that gays had yet to come to grips with the epidemic would be an understatement.
"My bridge partner, Francis, had a son who lived with his partner in New York and San Francisco, and Frank (the son) was the first person I had known who died of AIDS. I would make excuses not to go to Francis' house, simply because Frank had been there. That's how scared I was, how scared everybody was.
But I was watching ("PTL") that day, and there's Tammy Faye with this thin, tall man. And she says, 'This is George. George has AIDS. And God loves George, and George loves God, and we love George.'
"And she threw her arms around him in a big hug, and she kissed him and kissed him and kissed him again.
"I cannot overestimate the overwhelming effect this had."
Two things about Tammy: "She never made a move for effect. Never put a spin on anything. She is what she is." Another thing: "She's brilliant. She's Mensa. If you meet her you know."
Love this woman! I hope she does not have to suffer through this horrible cancer much longer.
If only the other religious figures on TV were like her. You think Falwell would have acted that way towards an AIDS patient? Doubt it.