George Rekers, Christian Right Leader, Denies Gay Prostitution Allegation

University of South Carolina

Updated 2:25 p.m. Thursday

This week the alt-weekly newspaper the Miami New Times ran a much-discussed story about a man named George Alan Rekers.

You might not know Rekers, but he has long played a prominent role behind the scenes in the social conservative movement: A member of the founding board of the conservative Family Research Council, Rekers has authored books on how to ensure that children grow up straight.

A Baptist minister and former research fellow at Harvard University, Rekers has testified against gay adoptions and is on the board of National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, which "upholds the rights of individuals with unwanted homosexual attraction to receive effective psychological care."

According to the New Times story, by Penn Bullock and Brandon K. Thorp, Rekers was spotted returning from a ten-day trip to Europe with a young man identified as Lucien, who he allegedly met on a gay website called Rentboy.com. On that site, Lucien appeared shirtless, and his physical attributes were described in detail; he was identified as "HIV and Disease FREE," offered "a sensual meet or companionship" and said he will "do anything you say as long as you ask."

The New Times posted a photograph of Rekers with a young man said to be Lucien at the Miami airport; it also spoke to Lucien, who indicated he had met Rekers on Rentboy.com. The story says Rekers himself did not deny that he met Lucien on the site, though he said he did not know he was a prostitute until midway through the vacation. Rekers insisted in the story that he hired Lucien because he "can't lift luggage" and needed a companion.

Now Rekers is publicly responding to the story: In a statement posted on his website, Rekers calls the piece "misleading" and says it "cleverly gave false impressions of inappropriate behavior." The implication that he had hired a prostitute, he said, was incorrect.

"Contrary to Internet stories based on this slanderous article, following medical advice Professor George Rekers requires an assistant to lift his luggage in his travels because of an ongoing condition following surgery," said Rekers. "His family, local friends, and even another university professor colleague have offered to accompany him on trips to lift luggage. Professor Rekers was not involved in any illegal or sexual behavior with his travel assistant."

Rekers also apparently replied to a Facebook message from the blog "Joe.My.God." In his message, Rekers denies that he is gay. He writes, "My hero is Jesus Christ who loves even the culturally despised people, including sexual sinners and prostitutes. Like Jesus Christ, I deliberately spend time with sinners with the loving goal to try to help them."

Adds Rekers:

"Contrary to false gossip, innuendo, and slander about me, I do not in any way 'hate' homosexuals, but I seek to lovingly share two types of messages to them, as I did with the young man called 'Lucien' in the news story: [1] It is possible to cease homosexual practices to avoid the unacceptable health risks associated with that behavior, and [2] the most important decision one can make is to establish a relationship with God for all eternity by trusting in Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, including homosexual sins. If you talk with my travel assistant that the story called 'Lucien,' you will find I spent a great deal of time sharing scientific information on the desirability of abandoning homosexual intercourse, and I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him in great detail."

Contacted for comment, the Family Research Council confirmed that Rekers was a member of its founding board.

"Reports have been circulating regarding Dr. Rekers relationship with a male prostitute," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. "FRC has had no contact with Dr. Rekers or knowledge of his activities in over a decade so FRC can provide no further insight into these allegations."

"While we are extremely disappointed when any Christian leader engages in the very activities that they 'preach' against, it is not surprising," he continued. "The Scriptures clearly teach the fallen nature of all people. We each have a choice to act upon that nature or accept the forgiveness offered by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and do our best to ensure our actions, both public and private match our professed positions."

UPDATE: On Thursday, the New Times posted a new story in which Lucien told the newspaper that Rekers "is a homosexual who paid him to provide body rubs once a day in the nude" during the vacation.

[gaygayturkish]

Finally, many governments throughout the world uphold laws that ban homosexuality. Repealing these laws would reduce discrimination against LGBT people, encouraging societies to embrace the diversity of different sexualities. Eradicating homophobia is crucial for improving quality of life for LGBT people, promoting fundamental human rights, and also preventing the spread of HIV. http://www.hadigayri.com

[alaskan1st]

Homophobes must be very insecure about their own sexuallity. Reker proves this.

[loki7329]

Looks like it was only a matter of time before more rent boys came forward. Seems JOEMYGOD stumbled on "Chaz" who is reporting on his blog that he was hired by George Rekers a few years back when he was in his 20's. Georgey does like them young and barely legal, doesn't he?

[1sunfish]

"UPDATE: On Thursday, the New Times posted a new story in which Lucien told the newspaper that Rekers "is a homosexual who paid him to provide body rubs once a day in the nude" during the vacation."

Did those "body rubs" include a 'happy ending'? According to the Village Voice:

The New Times reports that both men deny having sex on the trip, but the escort also told the paper that Rekers paid him for daily nude body rubs during their vacation.
Rekers allegedly named his favorite maneuver the "long stroke" -- a complicated caress "across his *****, thigh... and his anus over the butt cheeks," as the escort puts it. "Rekers liked to be rubbed down there," he says.
I mean, that's not "gay" or anything. (editorial comment by The V.V., not me!)

[book_of_wally]

I read about this over at Landover Baptist and they insist that he just hired that person from the gay escort service to carry his bags.

[mountainstates1]

So typical. The more born again Christian Republicans are against something, the more they have to hide. That religion is such a JOKE!

[kippertoo]

This is just ANOTHER reason to denounce organized religion. It is mind-boggling to me that anyone would waste their time listening to and giving money to these hypocrites. Who are they to tell us what God wants/likes/needs? And if God is everywhere, as it says in the bible, then who needs a priest/pastor/vicar(thinking like that is what frightens "the church" most of all)? Save yourselves, pray directly to God, live a good life, be kind to children, animals, the elderly and yourself and you won't go wrong.

[noloyalisti]

Pretty much everything a right wing Christian leader says is the exact opposite of the truth. That is why they like Republicans so much.

[MerrellObrian]

Take a look at TRUTHWINSOUT.ORG. You'll clearly see there are no less than TEN active hypocrits begging for the Republican Party vote. That's a blessing for the gay rights movement. Unfortunately, we have a Democratic Party filled with Black people who deny gay people of all color the same rights to marriage they have. That's the real problem for gay rights advocates. Which is it--Not knowing history well enough to repeat it or just being a hypocritical bigot? May I offer for the first historic lesson in American civil rights with this: "For all men are created EQUAL... and have the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. KEEP YOUR RELIGION TO YOURSELF and stop using it to control my life!

[innerpilot]

If Rekers is so naive that he didn't know Rent-Boy was a Gay site, his M.D./Ph.D should be taken from him and USC should reconsider his tenure.

One of the things that comes to light here, is the fear that these Christians all have of one another, that they cannot tell the truth. They must lie under any circumstance even damming their own souls for eternity (their philosophy, not mine). How ironic! How utterly sad!