Jim Bakker’s sexuality has been a big question to everyone from when he was the host of PTL Club and PTL Satellite Network until today.
We often encounter the query, “is Jim Bakker gay, bisexual, or straight?” Since he was alleged to have had sexual relationships with men, such a question will naturally pop up in curious minds. Besides, his ex-wife became one of the popular gay icons, which intensified the rumors.
His sexuality is a matter of discussion, so to understand whether he is straight, gay, or bi, we need to go through his life and controversies. So without wasting more time, let’s jump into the conversation.
Jim Bakker Was Alleged For Having Sexual Relationships With His Co-workers
Once Bakker became famous as a televangelist, he became popular as a fraudster involved with financial wrongdoing. This was not the only thing that dropped his reputation; things got worse when three different men claimed to have physical intimacy with Jim.
Jay Babcock, who was also involved with PTL, claimed to have a sexual relationship with Bakker to the grand jury. The second person said Jim harassed him sexually. He told the media that Bakker forcefully used to have s*x with him. Fletcher said, “I was Jim Bakker’s male prostitute.”
The third man was a television preacher. He hid his name and said that he and Jim had s*x thrice. However, they couldn’t bring any proof against him. After the news spread, the media pressured Bakker to explain things. He then publicly said he never had sexual relationships with any man.
Since there is no proof, these claims are considered allegations. Also, the televangelist hasn’t labeled his sexual orientation. Hence, without looking at his public relationships, it’s hard to assume whether Jim Bakker is gay or bisexual, or straight. So, let’s dive into his married life and see who his wife is.
Jim Bakker Had Two Wives and Two Children: Is He Straight Then?
There is no authentic news about his past relationships. Hence, we have to look at who he married. Bakker married twice in his life. His first wife was Tammy Faye Messner, who is considered a gay icon.
The couple tied the knot in 1961 and split in 1992. They welcomed a daughter Tammy Sue Bakker and a son Jay Bakker. Jim had children only with his ex-wife Tammy.
The reason behind their divorce was Jim’s rape allegations. After Jessica Hahn accused Jim of raping her and he was found guilty, the Bakker couple ended everything.
His second wife was Lori Bakker. The couple got married in 1998. They have not become parents but are living a happy married life. As we can see, the PTL host picked females as his life partners and admitted that he raped Jessica.
However, Jim completely denied having s*x with his former co-workers Babcock and Fletcher. As Jim Bakker chose to keep his mouth shut about sharing his sexuality, we can’t surely say he is straight.
But if we seriously take his oath, we should believe he is heterosexual. Bakker is not gay, but he can be straight or bisexual. Until he accepts getting physically involved with men, we can assume he is interested in women.
How Did Tammy Faye Messner Become a Gay Icon?
Back in the time when AIDS hit the world, many homosexual people got HIV positive. When people used to hate homosexuals, Tammy Faye interviewed a gay pastor in her show and attended to him with respect. [Source: YouTube]
In that show, you will find her asking funny questions at the beginning and making the atmosphere pretty awkward. She gradually seems to connect deeply with him and people like him. She even got emotionally touched and cried at the moment for them.
Since then, she has become a gay icon, and the LGBT community loves her. It was unexpected because she didn’t plan to get emotionally attached to homosexual people. However, she isn’t gay but does feel the pain of gay people, especially who are HIV positive.
Final Words
Although Bakker took the oath not to have a sexual relationship with men, we can’t take the allegations lightly. As he was a convicted fraudster, we must not trust what he said but what the victims said.
He was accused of wrongful sexual behavior by both men and women. Jimmy Swaggart is one of the victims. His sexual involvement with both sexes clarifies he is bisexual.
FAQs
What happened to Jim Bakker later?
Jim Bakker had to spend 5 years in jail because of the accusation of sexually harassing and assaulting both men and women. He was sent to prison in 1989, jailed for 45 years, but freed in 1994.
What happened to Tammy Faye?
Tammy Faye Messner died suffering from cancer. In 2007 she left as she had one of the scariest cancers, Colon cancer.
