Warns that gay-friendly legislation will result in increase of abuse
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ChurchMilitant.com) - A Florida man is claiming child abuse is an effect of the homosexual lifestyle after confessing he had molested children while living as a gay man.
During a public forum in front of the Jacksonville city council discussing proposed LGBT anti-discrimination legislation, a man who identified himself as Roy Bay took the podium, admitting to having sexually assaulted a number of children while embracing the homosexual lifestyle, adding that he had never been caught for the crimes.
"I lived most of my life sexually assaulting kids and never went to jail," Bay disclosed. "Because why? Kids believed me that this was all right son; this is not a problem. This happens in the homosexual lifestyle, over and over."
Bay confessed to molesting children for an extended period, occasionally in public restrooms. This behavior, he says, was prompted by being molested himself between the ages of 10 and 12. "I entered into the life of homosexuality and did the same thing, because that's what I thought life was all about: going into bathrooms of places and businesses and sexually assaulting kids," he claimed.
Free clip from CHURCH MILITANT premium
Not a subscriber? Start your free trial.
Bay states he has since been cured of his homosexuality.
According to Dan Merkan of the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality, "the speech last night was hate speech in many ways by trying to link together a community of LGBT people to criminal behavior when that has been debunked and there's no connection there."
"I think it's a real common tactic," Merkan continued, "from people who oppose basic civil rights for LGBT people not to be discriminated against to try and link these myths together."
Bay had attended the public forum as one of several members of the Evangel Temple Assembly of God to show up in protest of the planned ordinance. The other church members have said Bay's admission shocked them, including Pastor Garry Wiggins.
"We were just totally taken back last night by the statement that was made," he asserted, noting that while the church has not condemned Bay they will be restricting his access to young people, and he will be monitored by security during any church services.
A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office representative was present at the meeting, and a criminal investigation is now being opened into Bay's statements.