Tony Dungy and James Brown, two prominent NFL broadcasters, have pulled out of the annual Men’s Advance event, hosted in Colorado by anti-gay Christian evangelist Andrew Wommack at his anti-LGBT Charis Bible College, set to take place this March.
Their participation in the event drew attention in January when Outsports reported on it. Dungy and Brown were slated to be two keynote speakers at the event.
CBS and NBC — the networks where the two men are NFL commentators — both declined to comment on the cancelation of their appearances.
Both Dungy and Brown have previously appeared at multiple events hosted by Wommack. The participation by the men in past events, as well as their other appearances with Wommack, have focused on positive aspects of their Christian faith, even as Wommack and Dungy have separately made absurd anti-LGBT claims.
Most notably, Wommack has said gay people are so harmful to health and society that, like cigarettes, “we ought to put a label across their forehead: ‘This could be hazardous to your health.’”
Wommack said being gay is actually “three times worse” for one’s health than smoking cigarettes. According to the CDC, cigarette smoking causes about a half million deaths in the United States every year. Wommack said gay people are more dangerous than that.
Dungy and Brown have been replaced as keynote speakers at the event by Jeremy Pearsons, co-founder of Pearsons Ministries International.
Brown, a devout Christian, has never publicly commented on LGBT rights, homosexuality or same-sex marriage.
Dungy has a long history of publicly advocating against the LGBT community, including raising money to fight against marriage equality. Last month he shared a false claim about transgender children wanting litter boxes at schools. He has published at least a dozen tweets in some way critical of the LGBT community.
Dungy’s homophobia and transphobia have been heavily scrutinized in recent weeks by many in the media including Nancy Armour of USA Today, Dave Zirin of The Nation, Kevin Blackistone of the Washington Post and even NBC.
The withdrawal from the event by Brown and Dungy is a powerful signal to the LGBT community. Wommack’s public comments about the community have gone beyond the statements by either Brown or Dungy, creating a dangerous perception of gay people as a threat to society.
The importance of these two men in particular — both high-profile devout Christians — making this choice should not be lost. After talking with colleagues, friends, family and praying on the decision, they each chose to take a step back. It’s hard to believe their networks did not get involved in some way as well.
Their withdrawal from Wommack’s event — surely as a result of his past comments — is an important moment for the men and their networks.
GLAAD, which has worked with both NBC and CBS to ensure fair and accurate portrayals of LGBT people in the media, pointed out the significance of steps like this that clearly reject overt anti-LGBT bias.
“Public figures and media companies must use their platforms responsibly, knowing that their words and actions carry far and can be used for acceptance and safety, or exclusion and harm,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “They can bring attention and amplify the truth that LGBTQ people are in our world and deserve to be welcome, safe and accepted.
“GLAAD works every day to make sure media have resources they need to reflect and represent their LGBTQ readers, viewers, and employees accurately and inclusively. On or off the football field, LGBTQ people and youth see you and hear you and want to know you see them too.”
Last night GLAAD hosted an event with the NFL in Phoenix ahead of the Super Bowl to support LGBT inclusion efforts in the league.
