An Open Letter to Jerry Falwell

Originally written in April, 2006, I'm reposting this ( with a few updates) from my old MySpace blog in memory of renowned writer & atheist extraordinaire, Christopher Hitchens. I know Falwell & his hate have been dead for a few years, but I like to think Hitchens would have appreciated my candor.


Fuck You:

Every time you open your mouth about Family Values, you insult me. Your claims that nontraditional families are leading to the decline of our country are equal to spitting in my face. What the fuck do you know about families, particularly nontraditional ones? You were raised in a world of lily-white palaces, where it was alright to treat a black man like a nigger. I read about your "conversion" from your segregationist ideals. I suppose segregation is a hard habit to break.

You want a nontraditional family, look at mine. My mother was a heroin addict for most of her life. There were hard times. There were even tragic times. But my mother, without the aid of my father— without the aid of any man for a lot of her life— taught us about the important things in life. She taught us to love everyone, regardless of who they are. She taught us not to judge others; that rather than judge, we should offer our help if they truly need it and we are capable. She taught us to strive for anything we wanted out of life.

Granted, not everything turned out roses. My mother died of AIDS in 1991. She never even told me she had it because of a stigma that you helped to foment in those days. The irony is that she had, seemingly, finally beaten her addictions, and was just starting to go after her dreams when death took her. My uncle succumbed to AIDS, and my little brother, who was 16 when my mother died, battled his own addictions and only a little less shame. He died of the same disease.

My sister, however, is the Queen of Retail, happily married and buying her first house. As for me, I've recently finished a novel and am working on a second. Hopefully, I can get them published. You probably wouldn't like them though. I model for art classes for a living. For now.  I have two wonderful sons who cause as much trouble as teenagers are prone to cause.

I have a sister-in-law whose gay who has a wonderful young son who is intelligent, talented, tolerant and plays a mean game of basketball. Most important is that he is happy. I will love him whether he's gay or straight. Jesus would, too.

So you see, your ideas of morality have no effect on the way families succeed or fail. Success and failure happen with nearly equal proportions in black families, white families, religious families, Atheist families and yes, gay families.

Please Jerry, stop insulting me and my intelligence almost every tine you show your face on television. Let God, if there is just one or any, be the judge of our lives here on the planet. Divert your energy to the issues that need them, like poverty, hunger and literacy. They are still here, Jerry.

What would Jesus do? Otherwise, I hope that everyone wakes up to your hateful lack of tolerance, and stops giving money to a bigot, a bigot who doesn't know Jesus from an asshole, not even to realize he is one, an asshole that is. You could change today, Jerry: be a Jesus instead of an asshole. I certainly pray you do. If not, please just go fuck yourself, and leave me and my families alone.

Irreverently Yours,
The Word Pimp
Fernando Quijano III