Texas Church Calls Off Gay Vet’s Funeral

The family of Navy veteran Cecil Sinclair says it’s deeply insulted because a Dallas-area megachurch reneged on its offer to hold a memorial for the 46-year-old Gulf War serviceman just 24 hours before the service was to take place.  The reason?  Sinclair was gay—a fact that Sinclair’s sister insists High Point Church leaders already knew, despite their denials.

AP via MSNBC.com:

Wright said High Point offered to hold the service for Sinclair because their brother is a janitor there. Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War, died Monday at age 46 from an infection after surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Gary Simons, said no one knew Sinclair, who was not a church member, was gay until the day before the Thursday service, when staff members putting together his video tribute saw pictures of men “engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing.”

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AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez

Insult to injury:  Sinclair’s sister, Kathleen Wright, differs with the Rev. Gary Simons’ claim that he wasn’t aware of Sinclair’s sexual orientation until the 11th hour.