Always considered a maverick and controversial, Anthony C. Williams, II, best known to the gospel world as Tonex' with a list of gospel hits under his belt including "God Has Not 4Got" and "Make Me Over," opened up to talk show host Lexi on the season premiere of the Lexi Show - which aired nationally on the Word Network. The interview dealt with the hard questions and reflected back on familiar territory including the jaded events surrounding The Naked Truth, child molestation and his four-year marriage. On the show, Tonex', who has always been embattled with rumors about his sexuality, addresses the subject by confirming that he is "attracted to the same sex."
Amidst the tough responses and disgruntled viewers that remain disappointed at Tonex's decision to open up about his life, he spoke about the hypocrisies of the black church and its unfair treatment towards the LGBT community. "The church has completely faggotized everybody who's gay, sends them to hell over the pulpit and the church literally screams "hooray" and are happy about that. And yet, we celebrate the pastor who has a clean record and a clean look, but yet he is still doing the same thing that the same gender loving people are doing."
He also raised a powerful piece of logic "People can say 'See, I knew it all along," Tonex muttered. "If you knew it all along, this is the same guy who was taking you into the presence of the Lord. This is the same guy that wrote those songs. I'm no different."
Previously, on many occasions when addressed about his sexuality, Tonex' denied the rumors. "I take ownership of that," Tonex' now admits.
Several online media journalists are already labeling Tonex' has being the only gospel artist to date to speak out about their homosexual tendencies. The information is inaccurate. In 2008, Ray Boltz, a popular Contemporary Christian/gospel singer and Dove Award winner, came out the closet. But Tonex's views and decision to speak out openly on the matters are entirely different from Donnie McClurkin or even Terrell Carter (a Tyler Perry co-star who recently was outed online by an ex-boyfriend with several personal pictures depicting an intimate relationship, but has yet to address the allegations in the media). Tonex' instead becomes transparent and finally delivers a honest and courageous thing; something most gospel recording artists are too afraid to do.
Cell phones and Twitter pages should be blowing up right now. Surely, Tonex' should be commended for blowing the whistle on what we knew all along about the gospel industry, but were too afraid to talk about. Certainly, the hypocrisy from closeted preachers, ministerial actors, homophobic-and-hateful ministers of the cloth still possess a mighty dominance in the house of God. And that shouldn't be so.
Tonex's (now spelled Ton3x) last album, released on Battery Records and distributed through parent company Zomba, received some attention for its subject matter and mature lyricism, but is considered by critics to be one of his safest pop-oriented albums to date.
Watch Part II of the interview below.
Parts I and III can be viewed at Lexi's YouTube channel page.
[COMP-LEXI]
Lexi Television Channel (YouTube)
Lexi Television Channel (YouTube)
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