In Dean Rachel Williams-Smith’s mass communication for society class, guest speaker Chris Anthony Delany spoke to students about his history as a practicing homosexual. Delany gave personal testimony and insight into the homosexual community.
Delany spoke with conviction and energy. “I don’t think a person is born gay; I think a person is born in sin. Homosexuality is environmental a lot of times. Can a person be gay and Christian? I don’t think so. God is in the transformation business.”
“I think it was really well done,” said Jackie Ruth, senior mass communication major. “As someone who doesn’t know a lot about the LGBT community or has strong opinion on the subject, it was nice to hear from someone who went through this struggle. As someone who has worked in Pathfinders for years, I believe he would be a great speaker for young kids.”
Delany gave a perspective with which many students were not familiar and used that as a tool to get his point across. He speaks at different church and school events to anyone who will listen to his story.
“I wanted Delany to come speak to the students because it was a subject we were covering in class,” Williams-Smith said. “After reading his book, I realized he did not teach just pray the gay away. He struggled for 24 years with his sexuality. He spoke not with condemnation, but with compassion. He was reinforcing what we discussed in class and did not undermine the Bible. What I wanted all my students to take away from Delany’s message is that God indeed is love.”
Williams-Smith’s class is not the first on Southern’s campus to hear Delany speak. He has spoken for small groups and classes before. He is willing to speak to anyone who is going through similar issues or just wanting to know more.