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QCrimes? 3 Men Accuse Anti-Gay Mega-church Bishop Eddie Long Of Sexual Abuse And Coercion

Eddie Long is the politically powerful and infamous bishop of the 25,000 member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. He once led an anti-marriage equality march to the gravesite of Martin Luther King, has written such anti-gay bestsellers as I Don’t Want Delilah and Gladiator, the Strength of a Man, and has led gay conversion groups like Out of the Wilderness and Sexual Reorientation—all to set homos on the straight path to his bedroom heaven. But now that 3 of his young male congregates are suing him for sexual abuse and coercion, Long might need some conversion help of his own.
The three men (now around age 23) joined Long’s group “the Spiritual Sons” around age 18. They allege that Long discouraged them from having relationships with teenage girls, enticed the men with cars, jewelry, and electronics purchased with church money and then presented the gifts in private commitment ceremonies to cement their bond. He’d also take the young men on expensive trips via jets to luxury hotels with one bed and then coerce them to touch and perform oral sex on him while using biblical scriptures as support.
The attorney representing the boys said, “[Bishop Long] would use biblical stories to talk about how important it was to follow your leader, and your master. And let him know that the acts he was engaged in were not necessarily… homosexual… but that rather Bishop Long was ‘releasing his passion’—and ‘his love’ for [the young congregant).”
Right now this is only an alleged crime. Long and his lawyer have denied the charges outright. Though Long cancelled a press interview to discuss the charges today, he says he will defend himself from the pulpit this Sunday. Nevertheless, disgraced anti-gay pastor and alleged prostie-loving meth queen Ted Haggard spoke in support of Long:
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Haggard said that Long deserves a fair hearing and that if the accusations are false, he will survive the ordeal. ‘The bishop is surrounded by people that will counsel him well,’ he said. Haggard, who was a superstar among the Christian right until a gay sex scandal forced him to resign, said that all too often unsavory allegations can tarnish a person’s reputation, even if they are unproved. ‘Public perception becomes more important than the facts,’ he said. While stressing that nothing had been proved against Long, whom he said he has met once or twice, Haggard said it’s important to remember that all Christians struggle with sin. ‘It’s fundamental to all Christian beliefs that Christians are simultaneously saints and sinners,’ he said. ‘We’re saints in the eyes of God, but we all know we’re sinners, which is why we value redemption.'” Added Haggard: “Nobody’s guilty until the court says he’s guilty.”

We’re sure Long appreciates Ted’s support. But did Long pull a George “Rentboy” Rekers or have these men come forth to smear his good name? We certainly hope it’s the former. Not to make light of these serious accusations, but it’s always satisfying when a rabid anti-gay bigot turns out to be a butt-loving queermo. Long sent the picture above of him pulling a GuysWithiPhones pose to one of the young men suing him, adding “Eddie L. Long, Amazed by His Grace.”
Let’s see what happens next…