Reggie White rejects criticism for his remarks about homosexuality and race

Jet, April 13, 1998

Green Bay Packers football star Reggie White recently said he stands by his controversial comments about homosexuality, race and slavery that shocked politicians and activists and may have cost him a potential job at CBS Sports.

During a speech to the Wisconsin State Assembly in Madison, WI, White surprised the lawmakers with a nearly hour-long speech that included remarks on homosexuality and race that left the Assembly in stunned silence.

White said the United States has gotten away from God, in part by allowing homosexuality to "run rampant."

He said homosexuality is "one of the biggest sins in the Bible" and that the plight of gays and lesbians should not be compared with that of Blacks.

"Homosexuality is a decision, it's not a race," White told the Legislature. "People from all different ethnic backgrounds live in this lifestyle. But people from all different ethnic backgrounds also are liars and cheaters and malicious and back-stabbing."

Blacks were enslaved largely because their skin color made them stand out in White society, White stated.

Whites could not enslave American Indians because they "knew the territory, and the Indians knew how to sneak up on people."

White, who also is an ordained fundamentalist Christian minister, said he thought about why God created different races. Each race has certain gifts, he said. Blacks are gifted at worship and celebration, White said.

"If you go to a Black church, you see people jumping up and down because they really get into it."

Whites are good at organization, White said. "You guys do a good job of building businesses, and you know how to tap into money."

He noted, "Hispanics were gifted in family structure, and you can see a Hispanic person, and they can put 20, 30 people in one home," White said.

The Japanese and other Asians are inventive and "can turn a television into a watch," he stated. Indians are gifted in spirituality, White said.

"When you put all of that together, guess what it makes: It forms a complete image of God," White said.

White was invited to speak by Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen. Jensen called White's comments about homosexuality "disappointing."

White was expected to talk about his community work and recent trip to Israel. He spent a few minutes discussing those two topics and described his early attempts to preach in the nation's central cities, and how he decided to act to improve the lives of the poor rather than merely talk.

But the majority of his speech was about homosexuality, race and slavery.

Assemblyman Walter Kunicki said after White's speech, "This is the first time I've been at a loss for words. You can still tell from the tension in the room that much of this was offensive."

White said later his comments were about coming together as a society and taking guidance from God. They were not meant to stereotype the races, he said.

White discussed the criticism he received for his comments during an interview with the New York Times: "I didn't start a ministry to please everybody. I'm getting tired of people patting me on the back, anyway," he said.

White added, "People are saying they're going to have to re-evaluate me. I said: 'Don't re-evaluate me. Forget about me. I don't need your money.'"

He told the Times that the public has made too much about his comments about homosexuality. "That's not the only sin in the Bible. There's fornication, lying, stealing, adultery, false idol worship."

The Green Bay Packers star lost a potential job offer with CBS Sports after he made the controversial comments during his speech.

CBS officials indicated that White, who auditioned for an NFL commentator position, would not be considered, USA Today reported.

"CBS has a hard and fast policy against bias at all times," CBS Sports spokesperson LeslieAnne Wade told USA Today.

"The situation is clear. Anyone who violates the policy of the corporation cannot be an employee of CBS," Wade explained.