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Joe Vesey-Byrne
Aug 29, 2016
Picture: StoryCorp/Screengrab
When Drew Cortez came out as a gay in 2014, his father, a reverend for a Southern Baptist church in California, supported him and spoke to his congregation about it.
In an interview for StoryCorp, which records and collects interviews to be stored in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Rev. Danny Cortez recalled the moment that his teenage son Drew came out of the closet, and his decision to speak about it to his baptist flock. The StoryCorp interview was aired on National Public Radio in August 2016.
In his Sunday sermon, Danny stood before his congregation, the New Heart Community Southern Baptist Church of which he was also the founder, and he told them that he had changed his stance on homosexuality.
He recounted to them the moment Drew came out to him.
..I recently revealed to the elders that I have changed my stance on homosexuality
...I was driving my son Drew to school, and he turned over to me and he says, 'Dad, I'm gay.' I remember I just turned around and I hugged him so hard. And I said, 'I love you so much, son.'
...And so when I was asked a question recently, 'How does it feel to know that you might be terminated in a few weeks?' I said, 'I'm at peace. I'm at peace because I know my heart has been enlarged.'
...I know whatever happens passion is giving me clarity, its giving me clarity in my purpose, and I pray that our church will survive this.
After the sermon, Danny described his sense of relief.
When I sat down I felt like this weight had been lifted out of me and people knew where we stood. At the same time Drew I know your struggle has been more difficult than mine.
In the recording for StoryCorp, Danny asks Drew about he felt during the sermon.
I felt vulnerable and I just remember thinking ‘What’s going to happen after this? This is our life now’.
When asked by Danny what stood out for him from the experience, Drew replied:
Probably my name and the word ‘abomination’ used in the same sentence.
In response, Danny explained how he has tried to combine his faith with his respect for Drew.
As a father it was so difficult to hear that because we felt like they didn’t know our son. So there’s part of me that says yes I want to love people that disagree with me who disagree with us. But the other part of me now is asking but how can I do it in way that honors you.
According to NPR, the congregation split, Danny and other members formed an LGBT-inclusive non-denominational church.
Danny's hour long sermon on his acceptance of homosexuality can be seen here on YouTube.
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