In a recent episode of BlazeTV, conservative host Steve Deace drew attention and criticism for applauding a viewer who had chosen to disown his lesbian daughter. The viewer, David Biddle, a self-proclaimed fundamentalist Southern Baptist and “culture warrior,” shared his story of estrangement from his daughter, citing religious conviction as his reason for refusing to accept her sexuality.
Biddle described his daughter as someone who had been deeply connected to their faith until her sophomore year of college when, as he put it, she “got grabbed by the lesbian cult.” He revealed that he and his wife initially experienced anger and heartbreak over her coming out but, instead of supporting her, attempted to convince her to change her sexual orientation.
Despite their efforts, Biddle’s daughter stood firm in her identity, and within a year, she became engaged to another woman. This led to a rift between them, as she demanded their acceptance, threatening to cut them out of her life if they did not comply. Biddle firmly believed that affirming her choices would be akin to condemning her, and he asserted that it was his duty as a father to prevent her “path to eternal damnation.”
Steve Deace’s response to this story was to encourage parents like David Biddle to “maintain their conviction.” He noted that stories like this were regrettably not uncommon and suggested that various institutions were pushing to “infest our children” with LGBTQ+ identities, using a disturbing analogy of LGBTQ+ people as insects or rodents. Deace called on his audience to pray for individuals like David Biddle and urged them to remain resolute in their convictions.
This episode has ignited a conversation about the intersection of religious belief, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and the divisive rhetoric propagated by some media outlets, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and their families in the journey toward understanding and acceptance.