The Journal

Issue date: 4/7/05 Section: News

Media Credit: RYAN RUMBERGER / The Journal The packed house in the UC Sunnen Lounge April 5 was not without controversy as Dan Colombo described his change in sexuality.

Dan Colombo used to be gay, but after choosing a Christian life, he decided to put all aspects of his life, including his sexuality, in the hands of God. Colombo, 24, spoke of his transformation to a crowd of more than 100 students, some of them supportive but most of them skeptical.

Colombo, who said he was sexually abused by his male neighbor as a child, is now married to a woman and has a daughter. He said his life began to change when he became friends with a Christian while in the Army.

"God gave me the courage to overcome my sin and brokenness," said Colombo, who was invited to the university by the Baptist Student Union.

He said giving up his weakness brought him closer to God, who took his weakness and turned it into a strength.
His attraction toward women came naturally and when it happened it was exciting, he said.

"I started to feel a natural affinity for women - like a second puberty," he said.

Colombo said that true Christians do not make judgments about someone's sexuality. He also apologized for the way some groups are treated by Christians.

"Gays are persecuted and wrongly treated," he said. "Jesus was treated much in the same way. As a Christian I'm sorry for the way many groups are treated."

Students were interested in Colombo's assertion that he was able to get closer to God once he became a heterosexual.

"God told me He's not gay," Colombo said of his personal relationship with God.

Several students rebutted by referring to Bible passages that portrayed God and Jesus as asexual.

"He made it very clear that he was relying on a personal revelation," said Steve Houldsworth, the faculty adviser of Webster Pride. "I feel like he's being sincere, and I totally respect that, but that doesn't mean that anyone else is obligated to the revelation. God may have revealed to others that He is gay."

After she asked whether he thought all gays would go to hell, a question to which he answered no, a female student walked out of the room while saying that hell was a belief generated by fear.

"I don't believe you were even gay," she said. "I just think you took a lot of liberal arts classes and maybe got a handjob one time in the bathroom."

The Webster Pride Association handed out fliers before the lecture asking students not to "throw things" or engage in "name-calling or other personal insults."

Megan Combs, the president of Webster Pride, said the flier was released because many people thought the lecture was organized by Webster Pride.

"People thought it was going to be pro-LGBT and who knows what they would do," Combs said. "We would never sponsor that."

Other students attended with a more open mind. Senior Cade Holleman attended the discussion to hear what the other side had to say.

"I'm open to what this man has to say." Holleman said. "It's ignorant not to listen. I also respect what he has to say."

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