Opposition Grows to Anti-Gay, Rev. De Jesus as Chicago Alderman

There is growing opposition to Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus, the influential anti-gay Chicago evangelical minister being considered by Mayor Richard Daley for the vacant 26th Ward alderman seat. Despite the specious claim to the Chicago Tribune earlier this week that he will not let his "religious beliefs influence policy", a group of Chicago Latino LGBT activists met with the good reverend and found just the opposite, the Windy City Times reports.

On June 3, a network of about 30 LGBT activists and community leaders met with De Jesús at La Bruqueña restaurant, 2726 W. Division. “People asked him very pointed questions about his Web site, which has a page about homosexuality and how it's sinful and wrong. They asked him if he would change that, and he said absolutely not,” said Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois, who attended the meeting.

“Somebody asked, 'What if your daughter told you she was a lesbian?'. And I looked at this guy's reaction and it was sad. He looked like somebody threw cold water on him. He said something to the effect of, ‘That's not how my wife and I raised our family.' Then she pushed him and he said ‘Well, I would want to know who did that to her.'“ “I have to say that I don't think he swayed anyone in that room in his favor,” said Garcia.

“Many of us at the meeting were not confident that Rev. De Jesús would be able to separate his religious views from his role as an alderman,” said Lourdes Torres, president of Amigas Latinas, an organization that advocates for lesbian, bisexual and questioning Latinas, and their families. Torres said her concerns go beyond his stance on sexuality and include his position on other hot-button issues, including a woman's right to choose.

Earlier this week, Rod 2.0 questioned the Tribune's claim that "some gay residents" supported De Jesus and our response was: "It's difficult to imagine they would be welcome at De Jesus' church." WCT quotes one former congregant, a lesbian, who attended New Life Covenant Ministries during the time De Jesus was leading the charge against the Chicago Public Schools' proposed Pride Campus.

Esmeralda Román, said she left his church because of a sermon that he gave about the school that she said felt more "like an anti-gay rally." Román, a lesbian, had asked De Jesús just weeks prior if she and her partner and their three children were welcome to worship at New Life Covenant. De Jesús said they were. "We didn't go back because we didn't feel safe there," said Román. "I have sat in churches and seen people being hypocrites, people lying, people stealing—but I never felt hate like that at church. That's exactly what I felt."

De Jesus is the senior pastor of 4,000-member New Life Covenant Ministries, which is affiliated with the charismatic and very anti-gay Assemblies of God/Pentecostal movement.

Mayor Daley has until August 1 to fill the 26th Ward City Council seat, which was vacated when former Ald. Bill Ocasio became an adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn.

Thanks ANDRES!

Some Background...
Anti-Gay Pastor: Beliefs Will Not Influence Role as Alderman [R20]
Will An Anti-Gay Minister Be Appointed as a Chicago Alderman? [R20]

Comments

[Ravenback]

I love when people ask the "torpedo" question that sinks someone's battleship. A simple question that asked him what if his daughter was a lesbian brought forth an answer that told us everything we need to know. De Jesus should stay in the church and stay out of politics.

[Gurlene]

The is clearly a political payoff that Daly HAS to see already is a mistake waiting to happen. What more proof is needed?

I am sure it's a safe bet to say that were Mr. Daly's father still alive he would advise his son to use common sense and pick someone else.

He clearly has the "wealth" of his congregation in his pocket but does not understand that he has to represent ALL who come under his district. I pity an incident of gay bashing on his "turf" and he has to make a comment on it, though I am sure the soon-to-be gay bashers think differently and welcome his appointment.

[Derrick from Philly]

Idiot. Doesn't he know that if he goes into politics that they might investigate how much money he's swindeled from his New Life Convenent flock. And without his stash from the collection plates where will he make the extra money to pay for specialty hookers (you know, the kind like Jimmy Swaggert had to do "special stuff")?

Then again, we're talkin' about Chicago politics? You can't be too honest and come out of Chicago city polit...oh, shoot! Let me shut up--quick.

[Xavier]

I was one of 30 people who attended a meeting at La Bruquena restaurant a few weeks ago with Pastor De Jesús, which included mostly Puerto Rican representatives of different community organizations that deal with LGBTQ issues. Sadly, the vast majority of those who attended did not live in the 26th Ward. Interestingly enough, it was from those who did not live here that questions about important community issues like gentrification, the development of Paseo Boricua, violence, and education ...etc were absent. It was from those activists who live and work in this community, who organize LGBTQ events (which most of De Jesús' discontents do not attend), and fight homophobia and transphobia on a daily basis in the schools, programs, and institutions of Humboldt Park, that a real dialogue took place. Please name an evangelical pastor who would meet with a group of LGBTQ leaders? Which evangelical pastor would explain herself/himself on hers/his beliefs to such a group? Which evangelical pastor would support the construction of a gay homeless shelter in Humboldt Park that Vida/SIDA is doing? None, except for Pastor Choco!

Read more at my blog: xaviersrevenge.blogspot.com

[Kevin Perez]

So the the LGBT community should just take this BS, Xavier?

We should forget our priorities for the sake of the community? In that case, screw you! LGBT are considered scum and look down upon in Puerto Rican/Latino communities. Why help a group of people that pretend that we don't exist and treat us as if were beneath them. Face it, people like you and the those who support him don't give a rat's @$$ about the LGBT. Don't try to justify his BS.

I'm afraid you're the only that doesn't get it. You're forgetting about the inflammatory statements he made about LGBT harrasing for, straight virgins. A common belief in Latino/Puerto Rican communties that were sex-starved maniacs. A homophobe like you seems to pretend that LGBT folk are lesser than than those who are not and we should be grateful for this SOB? So what if he "listened"? I can guarantee you he's going to screw us over. LGBT PEOPLE are the ones who struggle an die for US everyday to to MAKE US feel welcomed in our own communties, not you or any religious insitutions.

On the contrary, people like you tell us we should "be grateful" and ignore the ridiuclous homophobia and machosim in our communities. LGBT are part of the community as well. People like you probably accuse us angered by this man's bigotry as being "intolerant" because, again, we won't stand for this BS.

The man is letting his sh*tty religious views affect his postion. You and every other Puerto Rican/Latino that tells us otherwise, are telling us to be silent, that forget about the existing problems with LGBT and pretend this man's "religious views" won't affect us being screwed over but it's okay as long as others in the Puerto Rican community aren't being screwed over, right? Sacrafice the LGBT, their struggles and needs for the better of the Latino/Puerto Rican community in Chicago and judmental religious bigots like the man you're masterbating over. After all, none of the issues that affect Latinos/Puerto Ricans affect the LGBT Latinos, huh?

But I understand, everyone needs a scapegoat. And more importantly, we should know our place. I can say now that you, this pastor and the Latino/Puerto Rican community in Chicago with this way of thinking can go straight to Hell, if it exists. If it does, I'l see you there, along with religious followers of this man.

From Kevin, a Boriqua in Worcester, Massachusetts.