LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Gay activists are establishing a permanent presence in Jerry Falwell's hometown to protest his ministry.
"It's safe to come out," the Rev. Mel White told nearly 200 gathered to protest in Lynchburg, Va., Oct. 26. "God has made you gay. You are all beautiful."
White is a California minister who founded the gay rights group Soulforce, according to The Associated Press. White claims he was friends with Falwell until he announced his homosexuality.
White decided to move to Lynchburg last year after Falwell said God allowed terrorists to attack America in part because of the work of homosexuals, abortionists and feminists, he said.
Lynchburg -- with a population of 64,000 and located about 180 miles southwest of Washington -- is the home of Jerry Falwell Ministries. In the last 50 years, Falwell has expanded his ministry to include Liberty University, retirement centers and elementary schools. Soulforce has a mailing list of 6,000 people nationwide, according to the AP.
Though Falwell said his statements were ill-timed, he stands by them and said he blames the "secularization of America" for exacerbating God's wrath.
Falwell told the AP that White and other protestors are welcome in the neighborhood.
"Our church doors will always be open," Falwell said, "and when they visit our church, I hope they will hear something really worthwhile."
