Gayle Haggard has been appearing everywhere from Oprah to Larry King Live to talk about her new book Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made In My Darkest Hour.

The title is in reference to the decision she made to stay with pastor Ted Haggard, even after he admitted to cheating on her with a gay male escort. Gayle now says Ted ” was ‘cured’ of his homosexual compulsions.”

A couple years ago, I had a chance to interview Mike Jones, the aforementioned gay male escort who brought this whole story to the media’s attention.

He said then that he was sad that no GLBT groups or progressive groups were reaching out to him or really even acknowledging his existence.

When Gayle’s book came out this week, I wondered what Mike’s reaction was to all the recent publicity. I figured attention on the Haggards’ story might also mean renewed attention on Mike and his book.

I was wrong. It looks like everyone is still avoiding Mike.

This is what he wrote to me in an email (he gave me permission to post it):

“It is not hard to have a happy marriage. If you are faithful to the one you love, everything else will fall into place.” “Being a hypocrite is the worst thing you can be in the eyes of god.” These are just two of many statements Ted Haggard has made through the years. Ted was not only a hypocrite with the gay community but with the heterosexual community. Yet when Gayle was asked if Ted is a hypocrite, her answer [was: every] one is a hypocrite. It is very difficult for me because no press will talk with me. Not even the gay press. The hell with the gay community. I no longer fight for gay marriage. I hope they lose every case. I have learned that it is a phony, vindictive, jealous, and intolerant group. The gay community should be so outraged at the Haggards right now, but you do not hear a peep. They are saying that being gay not only can be cured, but it is the dark and evil side of life. WHERE IS THE ANGER! I exposed myself to expose this man and no one really cares. My life has been in shambles and the Haggard’s are making money again because the Christian community is coming back to them. I only wish I could have that kind of support. Gayle Haggard knows more than she is letting on and the question I wish someone would ask Ted is, was Mike Jones your whore or your lover?

Yeah… he’s still upset. And he has some good reasons to be. The GLBT community has been relatively muted when it comes to speaking out against Gayle Haggard’s book. I haven’t heard much from them, anyway. (That said, I still support gay marriage, the repeal of DADT, etc.) They’ve done little outreach to Mike after he exposed one of their greatest foes as a hypocrite.

While the Haggards have been making money off this whole escapade, Mike has been moving from job to job, afraid of getting fired every time the Haggards make a media appearance.

Also, as he said in the interview, by exposing himself, much of his family distanced themselves from him.

It’s not like Mike’s background is perfectly spotless, but he has little to show for having the courage to come out publicly as an escort in order to bring Haggard’s secret life out in the open. Meanwhile, the Haggards have come out like heroes.

I asked Mike if he had any desire to see Ted Haggard again — maybe to accept an apology from him or just to speak his mind in person. Mike said he had done that, too:

I have always been open to meeting him. In fact, I wrote him a letter about a year ago, suggesting that but he never responded. So, I tried.

After all this, I get why Mike is frustrated. And I wish him all the best.



