Christian music star Jennifer Knapp says she is a lesbian

[Kadie]

Christian music star Jennifer Knapp says she is a lesbian

By Dean Goodman Dean Goodman – 1 hr 20 mins ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A rising star on the Christian music scene is returning to the public eye with a new identity after a mysterious seven-year absence spent mostly on the other side of the world.

Jennifer Knapp is not only coming out with a new album, she is also "coming out," a term the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter considers "very bizarre" as she nervously relaunches her career.

The 36-year-old Kansas native, who dated men during her college days, is braced for a backlash from religious fans who faithfully shot down whispered rumors about her sexuality over the years. On the other hand, she said in a recent interview with Reuters, "I'm definitely getting a lot more friendly winks from the girls (at her concerts) than I have in the past!"

No other singer of Knapp's renown in the Christian music genre is openly gay. In the past, the industry looked dimly on those who deviated from the straight and narrow. Radio stations and retailers quickly dropped Sandi Patty and Michael English after they admitted to (separate) extra-marital affairs during the 1990s. Amy Grant was also blacklisted when she went through a divorce later that decade. All have since been forgiven to varying degrees.

Knapp is taking a preemptive stand anyway. She has recorded a mainstream album, and is not specifically targeting Christian radio stations and retailers.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_knapp



Jennifer Knapp is seen in a handout publicity photo.
REUTERS/TheNetworkPR/Kerri Brusca/Handout

[Swede]

1. Good luck to her.

[kenny blankenship]

2. Sorry, accidently hit unrec

[blm]

3. got you covered

; )

[hatrack]

Don't worry - picked up the slack for you!

:hi:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Wow.

That took some serious courage. :wow:

Now we will see just how "Christian" those folks really are.

[divvy]

9. well, if I were to hazzard a guess ....

I would guess that most christians who felt inclined to comment about her sexuality would most likely behave in a most un-christ-like manner.

[Divine Discontent]

11. I adore her rock n roll voice. I am shocked she did it, but thrilled for the GLBT movement,

especially the GLBT Christians - this is big, as she's one of the first rock artists of Christian genre to come out, Ray Boltz is gospel, so we've got two big names coming out in the past few years now, and I hope this will encourage a couple more to do it. I thought she was Lesbian, and I have thought a few guys in CCM are also Gay, so I will pray they follow her lead and wake up people to realizing there's Gays all around them.

[MrScorpio]

5. Congratulations for her

I have a feeling that her "fans" will not be as accommodating

[Toasterlad]

6. I Hear Usher Is Going To Reveal He's In The KKK Next.

[JuniperLea]

7. "Christians" never learned to treat lepers better either...

Not that I can tell. They will tell you that homosexuals are sick, but won't treat them the way Jesus said to treat the sick... with love and kindness, pretty much how he taught everyone to treat everyone else. The only group I remember him having adverse actions toward were the moneychangers... uh huh.

Good for Ms. Knapp... telling the truth is a good thing. I wish her well, and I hope the alleged Christians she has as followers and fans take a clue card from the Christ.

We are all God's children, right?

[Divine Discontent]

8. PRAISE THE LORD! I thought she was in my 'family' when she came to rise in the Christian music

scene. So, I am THRILLED to see her be a God loving Lesbian! I am Gay, two of my Lesbian friends can rock it up, and remind me of Jennifer when they play guitar and sing. This is a great thing to see, I hope even more come out like Ray Boltz did a little while back! Many conservative Christians said they were heartbroken when Ray came out - well they better get used to it, there's GLBT people all around them in church, and many artists are GLBT.


Undo Me - Jennifer Knapp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJdLn1jwvfY

The Anchor Holds - Ray Boltz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL112E3NjqU



Jennifer's exclusive Christianity Today interview (of course they say 'lifestyle choice', but the interview is great)
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2010/jenniferknapp-apr10.html?start=1
(snip)


Knapp: I'm the happiest I've ever been. But now that I'm back in the U.S., I'm contending with the culture shock of moving back here. There's some extremely volatile language and debate—on all sides—that just breaks my heart. Frankly, if it were up to me, I wouldn't be making any kind of public statement at all. But there are people I care about within the church community who would seek to throw me out simply because of who I've chosen to spend my life with.

So why come out of the closet, so to speak?

Knapp: I'm in no way capable of leading a charge for some kind of activist movement. I'm just a normal human being who's dealing with normal everyday life scenarios. As a Christian, I'm doing that as best as I can. The heartbreaking thing to me is that we're all hopelessly deceived if we don't think that there are people within our churches, within our communities, who want to hold on to the person they love, whatever sex that may be, and hold on to their faith. It's a hard notion. It will be a struggle for those who are in a spot that they have to choose between one or the other. The struggle I've been through—and I don't know if I will ever be fully out of it—is feeling like I have to justify my faith or the decisions that I've made to choose to love who I choose to love.

[madrchsod]

10. just read this on a youtube comment....

only the lord judges us......

gospels music`s aids problem was swept under the rug for years. as far as i have seen they still won`t admit that there are gay people in their midsts

[Divine Discontent]

13. hmm interesting. thanks.

God bless Jennifer for doing this, too, and I hope more do. I didn't know about the aids problem in gospel music, but that would make sense, that they would hide it, and that there would be a problem with aids in it. I've known many singers/musicians/artists that are Christians and a decently high percentage of them are open/closeted GLBTers.

[xchrom]

12. Ruh-roh. Nt

[Political_Junkie]

14. Good for her!

nt

[DirkGently]

15. It's so hard to keep people in an inherently hypocritical genre!

[newtothegame]

16. Wow, not exactly a "star." Last album was near a decade ago. nt

[tammywammy]

17. Good for her! n/t

[rcrush]

18. Oh man Christian Music Fans heads must have just exploded.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

19. I hope that she's not waiting for an outpouring of "Christian Love"

from faux *Christians*. Of course, she'll be more than welcome among REAL Christians. Good luck to her!