Rev.
Louie Giglio withdrew from President Barack Obama’s upcoming
inauguration ceremony a day after the blog ThinkProgress LGBT uncovered a
sermon Giglio delivered in the mid-1990s in which he urged Christians
to fight the normalization of homosexuality and endorsed conversion
therapy for gays and lesbians.
"Due to a message of mine that has
surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and
the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their
agenda the focal point of the inauguration,” Giglio said in a
statement. The selection of Giglio to deliver the benediction at the
inaugural was reportedly made by the Presidential Inaugural Committee,
but White House officials became involved last Wednesday, reportedly urging
PIC to fix the problem, according to the New York Times.
