Truth Wins Out Calls For Resignation Over Hush Money Paid To Haggard's Boyfriend

Truth Wins Out, the anti-"ex-gay" organization headed by Wayne Besen, is calling for an investigation into New Life Church for paying hush money to the young man who last week revealed a longtime sexual relationship with disgraced evangelical Ted Haggard. Besen further calls for the resignation of Haggard's replacement, Pastor Brady Boyd.

Truth Wins Out (TWO) today called on Colorado officials to investigate New Life Church, after the Associated Press revealed that New Life paid money to keep a male volunteer from publicly disclosing a romantic affair with the church’s former minister Ted Haggard. According to the AP, New Life’s current Senior Pastor, Brady Boyd, said that the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the relationship publicly.

“Until conservative churches stop shaming gay people and learn to accept them, we will see more tawdry scandals,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “These calamities are a direct result of the closet.” Rev. Boyd denied that New Life paid hush money and said, “Our desire was to help him. Here was a young man who wanted to get on with his life. We considered it more compassionate assistance – certainly not hush money.” TWO called on Colorado officials to look into the matter. “Authorities should investigate to ensure that this volunteer was not manipulated or coerced into silence,” said Besen. “The leadership of New Life has little credibility and should not simply be taken at their word. At a minimum, Boyd should resign for using his position of power to pressure a vulnerable member of his congregation into silence.”

"Compassionate assistance"? Snort. The HBO documentary, The Trials Of Ted Haggard, debuts on Thursday.