In a strange twist of events, Antoine Dodson, YouTube’s most flamboyant viral sensation, took to Facebook to renounce his homosexuality and declare his love for God. What’s next? Is Tiger Woods going to take a vow of celibacy and become a Catholic priest?
The whole thing started when Dodson posted this bizarre message on Facebook saying he was “no longer into homosexuality” and expressed that he wanted a wife and children.
Most people reacted with skepticism and outrage at Antoine’s announcement. The ex-gay movement, a belief among certain people that homosexuality can be willed or “cured” has long drawn sharp criticism from gay rights groups who have deemed the organizations cultish, deceitful and harmful.
Antoine, however, isn’t involved in an ex-gay movement so much as he’s been swept up by the Black Hebrew Israelite sect of Christianity. This group, which some have labeled as a cult, makes strong lifestyle demands of its members and homosexuality is not a trait the group entertains.
In an effort to explain himself, Antoine appeared on Huff Post Live for a segment. The host was shady as all hell as she repeatedly probed and questioned Antoine’s newfound attraction to women.
Interviewer: Antoine, are you now attracted to women?
Antoine: Even back then, before I even came out and said “I’m gay, this, that and the other…” I was dating women. Growing up in school I was dating women so this is not new to me. I’ve always liked the art of a woman. I’ve always liked that. I guess it got to the point so much that I tried to like actually be that instead of being with that. I was like, “You know what? This is just foolishness, let me just get back to who I am.”
Interviewer: I have to wonder, listening to you talk about the art of a woman’s body, which is not the way most straight men talk about women’s bodies but hey, what do I know?
Antoine: You’re not a man!
That reporter was reading Antoine down to the ground.
WATCH THE WHOLE SEGMENT BELOW:
While Antoine is putting religion front and center, the main motive for Antoine’s decision to become an ex-gay seems rooted in his utter loneliness. He mentions that his younger, heterosexual siblings all have families and he is left all alone with no one to call partner or a child to call him daddy.
It’s understandable that he’d feel isolated when he compares his life with his siblings, but that’s no excuse to live a lie. Even if Antoine in his hearts of hearts really believes he can live a heterosexual lifestyle, what normal woman is going to want to marry and procreate with a man who has lived life as a well-known gay figure?
Her extensions, wigs and stilettos would never be safe around her “man” and frankly, there aren’t too many women who’d find the idea of that very appealing.
But hey, do you, Antoine Dodson. I just hope the Israelites can maintain his lifestyle, because being a sourpuss, Revelations-style, extremist Christian ain’t gonna rake in the ad dollars and iTunes monies like “Bed Intruder” did.