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News & ArtsMonday, January 26, 2009
News / Homo Mike Jones on Latest Ted Haggard Revelations
Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 2:05 PM
Mike Jones was the escort who outed Ted Haggard. He's released a video statement about the latest Haggard revelations—and he's pissed.
Jones did the right thing when he exposed Haggard's hypocrisy. He may have had unrealistic expectations about the personal repercussions he would suffer after outing Haggard—sex work is pretty throughly stigmatized—but there was something needlessly cruel about the way gay people and gay groups allowed Jones to twist in the wind. He didn't need the full hero —we tend to reserve that for victims of gay bashings and anti-gay discrimination—but he didn't deserve to be treated as toxic either. Ted Haggard's exposure has been good for New Life Church (which presumably doesn't have a deeply closeted pastor preying on deeply conflicted gay men in its deeply demented congregation anymore), good for gays and lesbians (if the head of the American Association of Evangelicals couldn't "pray away the gay," can anyone?), and it was ultimately good for Ted Haggard (at least according to Ted Haggard).
UPDATE: Gay advocacy groups were only too delighted to milk the Haggard revelation for all it was worth, political-points-scoring-wise. And it was worth quote a lot. All Jones needed in return was to have his calls returned, some coaching about handling media requests and interviews, and a little moral support. It wasn't too much for Jones to ask for or expect.
2
sorry, not a meth head. he says he never did any. commented too soon.
he's just a hooker who had sex with someone else who was on meth.
he's just a hooker who had sex with someone else who was on meth.
3
Mike was a life drawing model at my school until all this happened and was fired. Though it probably wasn't for the majority what was paying his bills he was still a really nice guy and didn't deserve all this.
5
Whether you're sick of him or not or you feel that his professional choices were reprehensible or not...what this boils down to, for me, is that he was abandoned and ostracized by gays and gay advocacy groups merely because of the affiliation with the church and the nature of his relationship. That's just sad and wrong...
7
I don't understand why he is ostracized. I thought it was brave of him to out himself as a sex worker and the rest so he could out Haggard as the hypocrite of hypocrites. He made mistakes in his life, there's no denying that, but he didn't get up on a pulpit in front of 10,000 people and scream hell and damnation for gays when he himself is one. @4 for -- you want to get on someone for soaking up their 15 minutes and twisting it around, direct your flippancy to Ted "the victim" Haggard. Puh-lease.
8
@5, yes, gay advocacy groups should offer support to a prostitute with meth-users as clients. It's sad and wrong that they don't.
9
Gay advocacy groups were only too delighted to milk the Haggard revelation for all it was worth, political-points-scoring-wise. And it was worth quote a lot. All Jones needed in return was to have his calls returned, a little coaching about handling media requests, and some moral support.
12
Jones performed a public service, regardless of the unflattering details. I think it's a real shame that no gay organization offered him any support - not cash but how about returning the man's phone call?
13
Some leaders tried to ignore or shun Mike Jones, but since there is really no single figure who speaks for the gay and lesbian community then Dan Savage's views carry no less weight than any others. Some of our leaders should be more responsive to what is happening in the community than they are to rich donors on the liberal cocktail party circuit.*
*see no on prop 8 campaign
*see no on prop 8 campaign
14
I agree with # 8. He deserved support. He has paid a high price for speaking out. I wonder how the memembers of New Life are feeling right now? Are their any other young men who are suffering, besides Jones and the latest to come forward?
15
oh. my. fucking. god.
This poor, poor queen, blaming everyone for his sad little life. What he did took great courage, but did he expect (and deserve) the "gay community" to support him? What does that even mean?
And he is insulted by being called a "whore" HUH? He was being paid to have sex with men. Call him an escort, call him a whore -- it's all the same thing.
This poor, poor queen, blaming everyone for his sad little life. What he did took great courage, but did he expect (and deserve) the "gay community" to support him? What does that even mean?
And he is insulted by being called a "whore" HUH? He was being paid to have sex with men. Call him an escort, call him a whore -- it's all the same thing.
16
so what that mike was a sex worker? all of you righteous a%%holes i'm sure are qualified to cast the first stone, RIGHT? None of you have any skeletons in your closets, AMIRITE? Idiots.
I wish Mike would go for the gold an unapologetically make some money off of this, he deserves it!
I wish Mike would go for the gold an unapologetically make some money off of this, he deserves it!
17
15-
hmmm. prostitute or whore.
maybe that is like saying homosexual or faggot.
or african-american or nigger.
one's an insult. one isn't. guess which.
not sure though; its up to sex workers to decide.
hmmm. prostitute or whore.
maybe that is like saying homosexual or faggot.
or african-american or nigger.
one's an insult. one isn't. guess which.
not sure though; its up to sex workers to decide.
19
What is a user of whores called? Is it better or worse than 'whore'?
There have to be customers for a whore to have work. I don't think either Mike Jones or Ted Haggard is completely innocent.
But if Mike really had in mind to out that whole frigging church's hypocrisy, I'm definitely on his side.
There have to be customers for a whore to have work. I don't think either Mike Jones or Ted Haggard is completely innocent.
But if Mike really had in mind to out that whole frigging church's hypocrisy, I'm definitely on his side.
20
Yeah, I'm sure he was hurt because he was called a whore, and not because all of a sudden, all of the sexually enlightened people he sought out decided that whores were worthless and undeserving of help or sympathy.
It's just as simple as the fact that he is a whore, so he shouldn't be hurt by people calling him a whore. Because, you know, it's just his profession.
It's just as simple as the fact that he is a whore, so he shouldn't be hurt by people calling him a whore. Because, you know, it's just his profession.
21
Seems to me like he's trying to take someone else's 15 minutes, as if he didn't plaster his face and voice on enough newspapers, Web sites, TV shows and radio.
If all he wanted was to get out the truth, he could have done that -- in a way that wasn't the day equivalent of his night job, whoring himself out.
And sorry, but no one's blind to the problems in the gay community. But someone who sells sex (and meth) won't be my advocate for unity and togetherness.
If all he wanted was to get out the truth, he could have done that -- in a way that wasn't the day equivalent of his night job, whoring himself out.
And sorry, but no one's blind to the problems in the gay community. But someone who sells sex (and meth) won't be my advocate for unity and togetherness.
23
Gheezuz America is a soft soft country. What is it we worry about? Not having a BF or a GF, who's having sex with whom. What a bunch of losers. We don't dodge bullets or bombs, we don't wonder where our next meal will come from and NOW THIS! Drama, drama. America is full of Drama. And Gay drama is the purist.
25
My what a bunch of prissy bitches there are sneering at the "whore"! The same ones who were delighted at Ted "Schadenfreude" Haggard's humiliation. You want Teddy Bear's boy-toy(s) to blow the whistle on his hypocrisy but you deride them as sluts? As fame whores? Yeah, I bet that'll really inspire other rent boys to come forward the next time with the next hypocrite.
26
@25 - You're right. It really shows that the "gay community" is not the place where one can find support if one happens to not be fashionable.
27
I thought it was telling that he said, 2x, he never did drugs with Haggard as opposed to saying he never did drugs. Had he said the latter I would have thought him a liar.
As for the rest, to charge money for sex is to be a whore, nobody owed him counseling - he should have turned a few more tricks and hired a shrink. And that he's mad at the church is precious.... he never tithed to that church did he? In fact, he took what was most likely church funds to provide sex to Haggard knowing it was wrong and illegal. I'm sorry if he doesn't like where he ended up, seems like he made the choices.
As for the rest, to charge money for sex is to be a whore, nobody owed him counseling - he should have turned a few more tricks and hired a shrink. And that he's mad at the church is precious.... he never tithed to that church did he? In fact, he took what was most likely church funds to provide sex to Haggard knowing it was wrong and illegal. I'm sorry if he doesn't like where he ended up, seems like he made the choices.
28
He's not sincere. But that's expected - must be awful for him to make his living being the person his clients want him to be, on an hourly or daily basis. Mindfuck! Obviously, his personality has been shaped by that. Does that mean I don't want him to rain down on a shitstorm on the hideous Haggard? No. But c'mon, he's an adult (an adult who apparently uses the finest steroids). Bottom line? You pays your money, you takes your chances. The victim thing is getting a little tired.
29
I think he's throwing it in the face of this supposedly "christian" church that they didn't reach out (like Jesus would) to the down and out, to the outcast, to the hurt and needy. Esp. when the hurt and needy asked to at least be heard. but I frankly wouldn't have expected much from the church in the first place, if I were him, and would hardly be hurt to find out that the delusional fuck wads there couldn't or wouldn't give him a good Christian outreach. When the shit hits the fan how many of these "christians" could really follow Christ's teaching? No big surprise there.... So if his point is to show how shitty and hypocritical the New Life Church is -- good for him, even if it's a bit redundant and tired by now.
As far as the "gay community" goes..... I don't have much pride in a bunch of judgmental nasty queens making life worse for him. You can call someone a whore and not be nasty about it. It depends on how and why you are doing it--- and it sounds like it was being done in very insulting ways... I also think that at least one of our Official Gay Organizations could have been bothered to help him out more than the nothing they did.
That being said, I hope Mike Jones has, somewhere and somehow, some friends who have stood by him and supported him.
Mike- you did what you did and I for one think you did the right thing. You've expressed your bitterness and anger and it is valid. Now move on and keep it together. New Line ain't gonna help you. Bitchy backstabbers ain't gonna help you. Find and keep the people who will. Plenty of people out here think you did just fine. Find your strength in that and carry on....
As far as the "gay community" goes..... I don't have much pride in a bunch of judgmental nasty queens making life worse for him. You can call someone a whore and not be nasty about it. It depends on how and why you are doing it--- and it sounds like it was being done in very insulting ways... I also think that at least one of our Official Gay Organizations could have been bothered to help him out more than the nothing they did.
That being said, I hope Mike Jones has, somewhere and somehow, some friends who have stood by him and supported him.
Mike- you did what you did and I for one think you did the right thing. You've expressed your bitterness and anger and it is valid. Now move on and keep it together. New Line ain't gonna help you. Bitchy backstabbers ain't gonna help you. Find and keep the people who will. Plenty of people out here think you did just fine. Find your strength in that and carry on....
31
You fucking assholes.
This guy found himself in a media shitstorm, being lied about, dealing with a hostile and huge and dishonest church, made a few phone calls, and got no help from the very same people pivoting off the outing of Ted Haggard.
Fuck anybody who thinks Jones didn't deserve somebody answering his phone calls because he sucked dick for cash. And fuck the HRC. And fuck the people who bungled no on Prop 8. And fuck the people who thought screaming at Mormons instead of building a new coalition was the next step. (And fuck anybody who says you can do both at the same time -- you can't.) And fuck anybody who thinks marriage isn't the centerpiece of the gay rights movement -- that's the HRC all over again. And fuck everybody who wants to combat anti-gay forces by refusing to use the word "gay." And fuck anybody who thinks that a judicial solution is above our heads, OR that a legislative solution is beneath our dignity. They're both out there.
Fuck 'em all.
This guy found himself in a media shitstorm, being lied about, dealing with a hostile and huge and dishonest church, made a few phone calls, and got no help from the very same people pivoting off the outing of Ted Haggard.
Fuck anybody who thinks Jones didn't deserve somebody answering his phone calls because he sucked dick for cash. And fuck the HRC. And fuck the people who bungled no on Prop 8. And fuck the people who thought screaming at Mormons instead of building a new coalition was the next step. (And fuck anybody who says you can do both at the same time -- you can't.) And fuck anybody who thinks marriage isn't the centerpiece of the gay rights movement -- that's the HRC all over again. And fuck everybody who wants to combat anti-gay forces by refusing to use the word "gay." And fuck anybody who thinks that a judicial solution is above our heads, OR that a legislative solution is beneath our dignity. They're both out there.
Fuck 'em all.
33
Uh,Mike, let's see ... you have sex for money, but you don't want to be called a whore. ... Hmmm... That's exactly what a whore is! Whether it's wrong to be a whore is another question.
34
It is sad and wrong.
ClubHomo burns thru people in a hurry, and throws away those that are no longer (or never were) beautiful like trash.
Society at large doesn't treat homosexuals any worse than we treat each other.
ClubHomo burns thru people in a hurry, and throws away those that are no longer (or never were) beautiful like trash.
Society at large doesn't treat homosexuals any worse than we treat each other.
35
Thanks for the update. Hopefully it's not too late to take a second look, and do right by Mike Jones.
36
While reasonable people can debate how heroic his actions were I really don't get the scorn that's heaped on him here and on other sites by gay men.
It funny, the same people who defend the Adams lip lock on a 17 year old in the men's toilet are all about denigrating the "whore". Who exactly has poorer judgement here? I'm not so sure.
It funny, the same people who defend the Adams lip lock on a 17 year old in the men's toilet are all about denigrating the "whore". Who exactly has poorer judgement here? I'm not so sure.
38
My only problem, if you'd call it a problem, is that Mike Jones couldn't simply leave it alone. I totally agreed with his initial outing of Haggard - it was well deserved and justified in my mind. However, after experiencing everything that Mike says he went through for this action, he wasn't satisfied now two years later to leave it alone. Everything he said that he experienced and that was hurtful will be coming right back to him again now that he has decided to put himself right back out in front of this situation. Couldn't have hurt that badly or he wouldn't be so quick to put his name and face on it again. If he thinks that by saying "I told you so" people are somehow going to change their minds he is wrong - his supporters will continue in their support while those who decried him previously are going to do so again.
40
I feel sorry for everyone involved in the saga.
In a different society, neither of these characters (Haggard/Jones) would exist because gay men would build their lives differently.
In a different society, neither of these characters (Haggard/Jones) would exist because gay men would build their lives differently.
44
Didn't he claim Larry Craig as a client too? I think I know what kind of whore he is. ATTENTION whore.
47
@36 ... Come on, bitches. Adams kissed a boy in the toilet. I mean, yes, it makes me slap my forehead too and shake my head that the first gay mayor in the US has to slip up like this and play into the stereotypes of the haters. But to carp on and on about his "poor judgment" as if this one thing is the measure of his character is absurd. Is it the age thing? Cindy McCain is 22 years younger than John McCain. Is it the toilet thing? Dan Savage kissed his fella for the first time in the toilet. Compassion people. Compassion. Jesus.
49
Haggard got 300K from the church to go away quietly. Then he cooperated with a documentary about his life.
This other young dude, whatever his name is, got 180K from the church to go away quietly. Now he's talking to the local Colorado media and whining about being taken advantage of, or whatever.
Jones isn't exactly a top-shelf hero, but it's not hard for me to see that he took some risks in order to do the right thing (out a hater) and hasn't really seen the rewards that others involved in this sad state of affairs has.
P.S. Anybody know where I can go make a cool 180K for blowing a conflicted preacher like one time? <-- Joking, but kind of not.
P.P.S. Oh, and right, who's the whore exactly? I mean, Jones, or this kid who walked away with nearly two hundred grand in his pocket?
This other young dude, whatever his name is, got 180K from the church to go away quietly. Now he's talking to the local Colorado media and whining about being taken advantage of, or whatever.
Jones isn't exactly a top-shelf hero, but it's not hard for me to see that he took some risks in order to do the right thing (out a hater) and hasn't really seen the rewards that others involved in this sad state of affairs has.
P.S. Anybody know where I can go make a cool 180K for blowing a conflicted preacher like one time? <-- Joking, but kind of not.
P.P.S. Oh, and right, who's the whore exactly? I mean, Jones, or this kid who walked away with nearly two hundred grand in his pocket?
50
I'm surprised nobody has commented about how cool it is in the modern age for everyone to be able to get their side of the story out. Last cycle of this story, we had to wait for the media to validate Jones, and get booked on their shows and quoted in their stories. Now he just comes to us directly.
52
I have just watched the Ted Oprah show in South africa today, 29 April 2009, at first i felt sorry for ted, he seemed genuine, but on doing further research, I feel more sorry for his wife, as he will not change, as she is just disillusioned if she thinks he will. I am gay, was married, so I know, it is just a matter of time before he starts seeking out the guys.
I have just watched the Ted Oprah show in South africa today, 29 April 2009, at first i felt sorry for ted, he seemed genuine, but on doing further research, I feel more sorry for his wife, as he will not change, as she is just disillusioned if she thinks he will. I am gay, was married, so I know, it is just a matter of time before he starts seeking out the guys.
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