Yet another anti-gay preacher arrested for soliciting an under cover male officer.

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/01/010406l...6lewdPastor.htm

Although I think he's a hypocrite I don't, from this report, understand what he was arrested for. The story says he invited the man back to his hotel for oral sex. It doesn't say that there was any exchange of money. The last I heard it isn't illegal to ask someone back to your hotel for a blow job, unless you're paying for it. I assume that there's more to the story than was printed.

Boy, I'd love to be a fly on the wall of his church come Sunday.

And what's up with this 2005 Mercedes that was impounded. Since when did being a "servant" of Christ become so lucrative. My understanding of the teachings of Christ wouldn't allow for a minister to drive a luxury car. Christ taught piety, poverty and charity. He taught his disciples to own nothing more than they could carry on their backs. I've never trusted preachers that drive luxury cars and are dripping in jewelry. Some of them look more like pimps that preachers.

[ January 04, 2006, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

It was a prostitution sting. He only has to offer to pay for sex. A victimless crime, but ending in sweet irony. Sicko.

Which explains why he was on his knees, praying...

In many states if there's the possibility of an exchange of money, or as fenwayguy says, the offer, you can be arrested for solicitation. The annals of Christian right-winger hypocrisy just grow and grow!

[ January 04, 2006, 06:36 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

Yeah, not only is he a hypocrite but when he gets caught he lies about it. He was "pastoring" to police. I've heard of knob-job, hummer, blow job but I'm not familiar with "pastoring". Sounds kinda dirty. Maybe it's secret Southern Baptist lingo like "hoo-hoos" and "naughty parts". That is hilarious. And they say WE'RE goin to hell.

[ January 04, 2006, 07:11 PM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

Here is the website of his church. If you click on the pastor's name everything has been removed. You get a message about how "deeply grieved" they are over the news about their pastor. I bet they are!

Lonnie....you got some 'splainin to do.

http://www.southtulsabaptist.org/

[ January 04, 2006, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

ahh...yeah....i could use some pastoring right about now....... a PJ ?

Man, why can't people in those red states figure out that all these people telling them to vote right are gayer then picninc baskets in the springtime? I would like to debate this one with Anne Coulter. She would probably blame Hillary for this one.

If you took all the closet queers out of the pulpits and out of politics the anti-gay movement would fall apart over night. It's a shame that so many of our greatest enemies are homos.

Too bad there's no changing their minds. They will just pray and grieve and get a new Pastor. If it was a female hooker, like Swaggert had, he'd be forgiven and given a bonus. Since it was a dude they'll have his bags packed and probably change the locks on the church. Hopefully he'll be able to get his gay porn out of his office before he has to leave.

This guy got busted at the Habana Inn "in the heart" of Oklahoma City's "gay district."

Oklahoma City has a gay district???

Who knew?

C'mon, OKC is a cosmopolitan, international.....

I'm sorry I just can't keep a straight face and type that. I'm with you, who the hell knew?

Correcting my post above, turns out it wasn't a prostitution bust, rather just for "propositioning" another adult in public.

One of CNN's "legal consultants" did question the legality of arresting someone for "offering to engage in an act of lewdness" when there's no prohibition on the act itself. Apparently it's yet to be tested in court. (I believe the Hate State, Virginia, also criminalizes "public solicitation", meaning they still bust guys at rest stops and in men's rooms.)

Correctamundo! Here in Virginia you can't ask a guy here to go have sex with you. You have to wine and dine him and let him have the first grope. Rather expensive but I hear straight guys have to do that all the time.

I can't wait to see this man's official defense. It's pretty clear that he will claim that he was set up while "pastoring". A victim of the evil HOMASEKSHUL AGENDA. However, his attorney may find it more feasible, depending on the local laws and ordinances, to go with the "not a crime to ask someone back to your room for sex" defense. But that of course would require him to admit that he asked the guy back to his hotel room and then try to convince the judge that he only wanted to "pastor" him. (that still sounds so dirty!) I'm sure the judge is going to have to bite his lip to keep a straight face with either defense.

Oh what a tangled web we weave...........

[ January 05, 2006, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

Maybe he was going to counsel the young man on how to give up the homosexual lifestyle. Maybe he was thinking that if he showed him how not to give a blowjob he could get him back on the path of virtuous righteousness...

Ah see the light!!!!

The loser's photo is still on the church's website.

Rob, I assume you would agree that criminalizing the act of asking somebody to do something legal is on shaky constitutional grounds. Could Virginia permissibly criminalize my asking a guy to watch a game together? (I know it seems criminal to have to watch VaTech crumble every season, but that's not what i'm talking about.)

[ January 05, 2006, 12:47 PM: Message edited by: KeyWest Guy ]

One HUGE hole in his story -- the good reverend claims that he was there to "pastor to police", but the guy he propositioned/was arrested by was an undercover officer! So obviously, the pastor would not have been pastoring to him (in plain clothes), since Latham wouldn't have known the guy was a cop until after the arrest was made.

And why, if he is a minister in Tulsa would he drive all the way to OK City and just coincidentally stop in front of gay hotel to pastor to police? Aren't there police in Tulsa to pastor to? wink

Tried to post a prayer request at their website asking for support (charity and forgiveness from those in his life) for their pastor in his time of need, but all I got was an error message. Wonder what's wrong.

I would love to "pastor" to a police officer. In my mind, I've done it a thousand times. wink

Damn Niner_Fan I never considered that. You seem to have a lot of insider information. I'm starting to wonder if you're not a Southern Baptist spy here to steal our plans for world domination and destruction. Could I see some identification that proves you are in fact an official operative in good standing with the homaSEKshul Agenduh? wink

Come to the Dark Side young Niner_Fan! :cool:

We should all be thankful to ole Lonnie for giving us the new verb "pastoring". I love it. It could be used to refer to just about any sex act that you get caught doing but don't want to admit to.

For example:

No ma, there's no reason why I was locked in the bathroom for an hour with the Undergear catalog. I was just pastoring myself. (officially known as " pastorbation ")

or:

I swear, I don't know how she got pregnant. I've just been pastoring her for the last two months. (another Immaculate " pastorception ")

Any other suggestions?

[ January 05, 2006, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

Ugh, I saw the picture. Pastoring or pestering?

The sick preacher wanted to give the cop oral sex. This preacher is known for his rabid homophobic rhetoric. Loves to call gays the new sodom and gomarah. Accuses gays of being child molesters. The f##### hypocrite.

UM Rebel/Bucfan - If I had been drinking anything when I read your post, I would have done a full spit gag into the computer - pastorbation in deed!

Seriously, as much as I am enjoying the schudenfraud of seeing this idiot outed, the "crime" here is BS. Asking someone back for sex, if there is no payment involved, cannot be considered a crime, and I know there are already Constitutional challenges to the similar law in VA. I do like the dilemna the "pastor" has now, though, because his best defense would require him to admit to being a big girl! (no offense meant to the real ladies on the board)

Family values win!

And I can't tell you how many times I've been told on here that I have no sense of humor. Philly fan has offered to buy me a copy of "Sense of Humor 101 for Dummies". frown

How about some
"pastorllingus"
"pastorlatio"
"pastorodomy" or
"pastorcation" ?

Forgetting for a minute that he was a hypocrite, I ask you....what is wrong with wanting to give a cop oral sex?

I'm afraid I just love the irony of the whole situation. Obviously, it shouldn't be illegal to simply ask someone if they want to have sex. However, I'm sure that on the pulpit, "Reverend" Latham wanted it to still be illegal for homosexuals. But if it weren't illegal in Oklahoma, he would never have gotten caught in his hypocrisy. Sometimes there is justice in this world, even when the path there is not just.

I wonder if he also argued that homosexuality is a choice. If so, why did he choose to be a homosexual?

Excellent HotlantaTarheel. That's what I'm talkin 'bout!


Since Latham is married and was pastornicating behind his wife's back does this make him a pastorulterer ?


ooo ooo ooo got another one!

When priests "pastor" alterboys, Eric Cartman calls it "malestering". We can now call it "pa -les- storing ". It's the same thing as molesting but none of the pesky guilt, shame or costly settlements. Nothing wrong with being a child pa-les-stor.

Now, how about some real convsersation about the situation?

Lonnie Latham has obviously believed the lie sold to him by the Christian right. He has stood in the pulpit week after week and tried to preach what was taught to him, all the while knowing that it isn't true, and that his entire life is a sham and a lie. He has repressed his true desires; he has internalized his homophobia. And now, he has been caught doing the very thing he has railed about from the pulpit. Where does that leave him? Does he apologize to his congregation as well as the Southern Baptist Convention, enter "reparative therapy" and become and ex-gay? Does he give up his career, his church, his support system, possibly even his family? Does he find that small group of christians who believe it's possible to be gay and christian? The man has persecution coming at him from at least 3 places: his church, the gay community (for his rabid, yet hypocritical hatred of gays) and himself for being the lowest of the low, a homosexual. Then there's that added injury of an illegal act that could get him some jail time or at least a fine.

So where does this guy go for help? To the gay community? it looks like we're ready to hang him up beside James West and Jeff Gannon. The Southern Baptists and others from the Christian Right? Do we really think they're going to help him? Do we leave him to the groups like Exodus International and Love Won Out? yeah, let's hook his dick up to electrodes and show him pictures of naked men, then shock the hell out him when he gets excited. We all know that works, don't we?

Many of us, myself included, have been in straight marriages. I lived in constant fear that I would be outed, and I admit that I put myself in similar situations while I was still in that marriage. it could have happened easily to me as well. Many gay men go to parks to cruise, even though they wouldn't have to. Would they get this kind of treatment if they were caught? The only reason this guy made the news is because he is a minister, and an anti-gay one at that.

It's exciting when we see cracks in the armor of our adversaries. Remember, there's a real person under that armor.

I think you're personalizing this too much, Keltic63. (And "straight marriages"? How many marriages were you in? No, I get what you're saying.)

Look, there are many who'll accept Lathan even if he doesn't renounce his hateful beliefs AND actions. But it's really unfair to assume that gay people should accept with open arms someone who ACTIVELY worked to oppress us, who denounced us, who spent unnecessary waking hours to ensure that we were second-class citizens.

I always say this about white people who were once ardent racists but decide they're going to work through their racism. I accept the change if it's real. I also forgive. But I don't forget, and I have to say I'm wary for a while because I wonder, what was it in you that led you to do the things you did against people who didn't harm you, people you didn't even know?

Lathan's anti-gay bias wasn't just a personal conflict with one other person who wronged him (not that that would make it any better), but against whole groups of people whom he'd never even met. Those people--WE--shouldn't let him off the hook. Why? Because like James West he's still not taking responsibility for his actions. He's not a child, he's an adult. And if he's supposedly leading people, he really needs to take responsibility for his actions.

Ultimately the impetus is his to get help. No one put a gun to make him denounce gays, just as no one put a gun to make him go solicit gay sex. There are numerous psychologists out there who are trained to work with people like him. And if they're ethical they won't engage in "pastoring" with him either.

Finally, if he went through reparative therapy--that dangerous crapola--he could return right back to being a raging homophobe will full approval from the Baptists, right? So God please, don't let him go that route!

[ January 06, 2006, 06:30 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

I agree with much of what fantomas said. I also wanted to add that, for the most part, I don't like to judge closeted gay people and their actions. I understand why some people have to hide in the closet, in some cases get married, and even if they feel they have to laugh at an anti-gay joke so they don't get found out. But to get on a pulpit and spew anti-gay rhetoric and/or continuously support or voter anti-gay legislation, that's where I draw the line.

So when one of these individuals get caught in the act, I think they get what they deserve. My advice to gay individuals who feel they must spew anti-gay rhetoric, is to stay celibate. Otherwise, there is a good chance that either you will out yourself accidentally, or you will be outed by others. I am against outing, but the reality is, that it happens.

As for Mr. Lathan and others like him. I could forgive him if he realizes the error of his ways. But if he goes back to what he was doing before, then he will get no sympathy from me.

I'd love to see Lambda Legal or the ACLU offer to defend him on civil liberties grounds. Wouldn't THAT be a mind-f**k for all concerned?

keltic63 wrote:

Forgive me if I don't shed a tear. You're forgeting that the hell he will be facing is a hell of his own making. He fuels anti-gay feelings by spewing lies about homosexuals and then I'm supposed to feel compassion when he is caught "pastoring" and he is turned on by his own disciples as they apply HIS teachings to HIM. Sounds like justice to me.


pat125 wrote:

Have to? I think there is a big difference between "have to" and "choose to". I don't want to beat this dead horse again but let's stop acting like grown men don't have choices. Just because someone fears being known as a homosexual doesn't mean they HAVE TI hide in the closet and certainly doesn't mean they HAVE TO get married. Yes there are difficult situations and yes it takes a lot of courage but let's start taking responsibility for our own actions. I can understand that someone may FEEL that they have to stay in the closet or they may FEEL that they have to marry. But to say that anyone HAD to do these things is simply not true.

And here's the one that will get me stoned to death. I say bring it on!

If I had known about this a****** I WOULD HAVE OUTED HIS SORRY ASS MYSELF!!! I would never out someone who was a closeted private citizen or public official who was not intentionally doing damage to the community. But when you are a public figure, affecting public policy or are a leader of masses of people and you use your office or position of authority to demonize and destroy a group of people to which you secretly belong then YOU ARE FAIR GAME. Before you get your panties in a knot let me tell you that this isn't just a gay thing. I am an equal oportunity hypocritical bigot outer. If I had known about Strom Thurmond's inter-racial affair all the while spewing racist garbage from the halls of congress I would have outed his ass too. I wouldn't name his mistress or illigitimate daughter because they were not public figures and did not promote racism or racist laws. If I had been in Nazi Germany in the 1940's and I knew one of Hitler's henchmen was a Jew and spewing hate and promoting violence against his own people, I would have outed his sorry ass too. And if I had known that Jimmy Swaggart was sleeping around with whores, I would have outed his sorry ass too.

It's strange to me how I can get an AMEN across the board from gay people about outing a hypocrite on racial, anti-simitic or minority grounds but then they freak when the issue is anti-gay outing.

I think it is absolutely absurd to proclaim that it is never appropriate to out someone. I can't understand the ethical problem in fighting lies with the truth. So let me get how this works. We have a man in a position of authority spewing vicious LIES about gay people, passing laws against gay rights or convincing the masses that we are a danger to society, the church the family (especially the CHILDREN) and everything that people hold dear. After marginalizing, stigmatizing and demonizing us with these LIES he fuels hatred and violence against us. All the while being the very thing that he rails against. Then somehow it is UNETHICAL for us to fight back with the TRUTH. Frankly, I think that anyone who let's himself be beaten down without fighting back with everything he's got is a pussy. I think that's one reason why people think gay people are such pussies. Because we act like pussies. "He's doing everything in his power, from his position of authority, to destroy gay people and the gay community but I'm not going to tell anybody that he's takin it up the ass because I don't want to be mean" "It is unfair force him out and make him live on the receiving ende of the bigotry, hatred and violence that he helped create". I say bullshit! Screw him! Sorry, call me a radical but I say out the friggen hypocrites.

Let the hate mail commence!

Um, take it easy there. Okay. Now after you calm down, is it possible I meant "feel they have to" but wasn't careful about the semantics, because it wasn't my point to start a flame war over that particular issue, and that I thought people understood what I meant?

As for your thoughts on outing, hypocrites like these people deserve to be outed IMO, and I'm happy that they get their just desserts. My problem, however, is that IMO, it doesn't advance the cause of gay rights. I don't want to turn this into an outing thread, which I may have done in my previous post, but there is a thread that talks about outing.


outing thread

another outing thread

Note: my position has changed over time, as my posts there indicate.

pat125, I was having some light hearted fun at the "good" pastor's expense when you decided that we "needed to have some real conversation about the situation". Then when I do, you decide that I'm hysterical. You can hardly be upset because I understood what you SAID instead of what you meant. I wasn't in the least bit stirred up by your comment. I'm sorry if my matter of fact response to what you said was considered frenzied.

Back to the topic of the thread, which I started. I wonder when he's going to have his day in court. I'm very interested in hearing his defense. Someone mentioned earlier that it would be ironic if Lamda Legal or the ACLU were brought in to defend him on constitutional grounds. I'm not sure about Lamda Legal but I know for a fact that if it is considered a violation of his constitutional rights the ACLU would represent him in a minute. As well they should. They, contrary to what many conservatives and fundamentalists think, are not an organization that only represents liberal defendants in ultra liberal court cases. They have represented MANY religious individuals and organizations when their freedom of religion was being denied. When it comes to defending civil liberties and constitutional rights they are an equal opportunity provider. I think that that is what gives them such legitimacy and credibility.

Back on the lighter side:

Sex with multiple partners: a "pastorgy"

Okay, no problem. One thing though. I wasn't the one that said, "we needed to have some real conversation about the situation."

This preacher has called gays an abomination against nature. How does he explain his apparent craving to suck peter? Is peter sucking a form of witnessing the Christian gospel?

It can be if done right, praise the lord.

That's right, it was me.

I guess I'm not ready to hang this guy out to dry. However, I will agree with many of the statements that have been made:

I totally agree that he made the choices, but I see it as a larger problem. Cultural/societal, and of course, warped by his Southern Baptist views.
nope, you're entitled to your opinion!

the guy will definitely get what's coming to him, but I suspect it will be far worse than we can imagine.

funny to watch? at times. funny things said in this thread? definitely. I was just trying to bring some compassion into the thread.

I'll bet that the preacher would love to service JEFF STRYKER'S big weiner.

pat125, you're right, MY bad. Sorry 'bout that bud (i say with red face).

Love ya, mean it, don't change a thing!

[ January 07, 2006, 09:59 AM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

keltic63 said: (and I think I got it right this time)

I agree with that, but at some point the vicious cycle has to be broken. He is the product of many rabidly anti-gay, and often closeted homosexual preachers before him. So then he perpetuates the evil and so on and so on. I think that's why my compassion level in this case is very low. Generally, believe it or not, I'm a very compassionate person. I guess my lowest level of compassion goes out to hypocritical bigots. Would I be happy or make a joke if he were to commit suicide over this? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I would never wish that on him. But I will not feel bad for him when he has to live under some of the hate, bigotry and oppression that he promoted.

It seems the story line about nasty people who hang themselves (figuratively) with their own rope has been popular in stories, fables and myths since the begining of time. They're especially satisfying to the oppressed.

I don't think our satisfaction at his situation means that we're mean or hateful. I just think it means we're human.

The fact that we're mean and hateful means we're mean and hateful.

I don't see any of the serious comments (or the funny ones for that matter) as being mean and hateful.

I was raised in churches similar to this one. My parents have been great about my being out, but I know plenty of the people in their church that wouldn't be so good about it. I'm betting that the crap Latham is about to go through is far worse than anything he ever threw at us. It's gonna come back to bite him in the ass with a vengeance 10x worse than he ever dished out. And perhaps that is fair, considering he was a leader. I just have trouble with the fact that another human being is going to suffer at the hands of the anti-gay religious right.

Well it looks like the dick smoker resigned. The church posted the resignation and a response from the Baptist General Convention.

Funny how they called it "Issues he faces".
I would love to know if they were that kind to Bill Clinton when he bought stocks in cigars.

I feel bad for that guys wife, she must be humiliated. I mean to be in her shoes and to have her husband look better in them then she does. OH NO!!!

Looks like I put the humor before the content.
Sorry but I wanted to be entertaining.

Resignation

Response

Happy Pastoring

They STILL JUST DON'T GET IT!

UMRebel/Bucfan you rock! I totally agree with you on this.

My concern is why the cops are at the Habanna, and yes there is a gay district in OKC. I can’t imagine this actually happened on the Habanna parking lot. Usually the hustlers are up on the corner by Tramps. But there is cruising all over the Habanna area. It happens all the time at all times of the day. Think Parlment House in OKC. This is the first I have heard of a cop getting someone in the Habanna lot. Something doesn’t add up for me.

I totally agree with you about the need to break the cycle, but I also think, at least from my own experience, that in hindsight it is difficult to remember the struggle it takes to overcome the kind of religious conditioning this guy went through. I know that my coming out only came after I had intellectually journeyed away from the Roman Catholocism of my youth, and that had been a very liberal upbringing (my mother was a devout Roman Catholic, pro-choice feminist - it was the 70s after all ). Nonetheless, I found my homosexuality horrific and disgusting, well into my 20s, because of what I had been taught in my religion. For someone like this pastor, the indoctrination is even stronger, and I am sure he acted much like a Jimmy Swaggert - preaching against a specific sin while secretly practicing it - the guilt must be tremendous.

I still don't believe the gay community needs to embrace this guy if he continues his anti-gay rhetoric, any more than we need to embrace fake "reporter" Jame Guckert (aka "Jeff Gannon"), who continues to obfuscate about his past and push a conservative, anti-gay agenda.