Donnie Davies
Encyclopedia
Donnie Davies is a fictional character who is featured in a number of websites. Davies describes himself as an Anabaptist
youth pastor
, "reformed homosexual
", and lead singer for the band Evening Service. Davies and the band were unknown until the release of the music video for the anti-homosexuality song "The Bible Says" on the Internet
in January 2007. Davies claims affiliation with the organization Love God's Way Ministries, which launched a website around the same time as the release of the video. He is also the founder and spokesman for the C.H.O.P.S. program. The acronym stands for "Changing Homosexuals into Ordinary People". C.H.O.P.S. is promoted through Love God's Way's website.
His video was removed from YouTube.com without comment from the company and has been removed by Google. It has since been put back up on YouTube.
campaign. Some gay rights advocates acknowledge that as a spoof it is humorous, but claim the message behind it is still as malicious as someone who seriously possessed the opinion. Debate has quickly risen regarding the authenticity of Davies' youth ministry activities, the band Evening Service, and the organization Love God's Way ranging from entertainment publications such as Spin
to thousands of personal blogshttp://www.google.com/search?q=%22Donnie+Davies%22+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Some in the blogosphere
maintained that Davies was truly seeking to "convert" other homosexuals to heterosexuality
. Others considered Davies ministry and the video part of a carefully designed hoax
mocking the Christian Conservative
community. Other controversy involve the claims on Donnie's website of what music "will make you gay." This included some of his own music.
Gay rights organizations, such as Heartstrong, are addressing this as a serious threat to the gay community.
Several blogs speculated that Donnie Davies was a character created by improv
actor Todd Quillen or out gay director Jason Bolicki.
On 9 February 2007, MTV News
Webcam Correspondent posted a video on YouTube
, proving Donnie Davies to be a character played by actor Joey Oglesby. The piece interviewed the actor and director and included their surprise that anyone took the video as being serious.
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
youth pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, "reformed homosexual
Ex-gay
The ex-gay movement consists of people and organizations that seek to get people to refrain from entering or pursuing same-sex relationships, to eliminate homosexual desires, to develop heterosexual desires, or to enter into a heterosexual relationship...
", and lead singer for the band Evening Service. Davies and the band were unknown until the release of the music video for the anti-homosexuality song "The Bible Says" on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in January 2007. Davies claims affiliation with the organization Love God's Way Ministries, which launched a website around the same time as the release of the video. He is also the founder and spokesman for the C.H.O.P.S. program. The acronym stands for "Changing Homosexuals into Ordinary People". C.H.O.P.S. is promoted through Love God's Way's website.
His video was removed from YouTube.com without comment from the company and has been removed by Google. It has since been put back up on YouTube.
Controversy
Much of the initial controversy revolved around whether or not Davies is genuinely promoting an anti-gay agenda, or if this is a viral marketingViral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
campaign. Some gay rights advocates acknowledge that as a spoof it is humorous, but claim the message behind it is still as malicious as someone who seriously possessed the opinion. Debate has quickly risen regarding the authenticity of Davies' youth ministry activities, the band Evening Service, and the organization Love God's Way ranging from entertainment publications such as Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
to thousands of personal blogshttp://www.google.com/search?q=%22Donnie+Davies%22+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Some in the blogosphere
Blogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
maintained that Davies was truly seeking to "convert" other homosexuals to heterosexuality
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
. Others considered Davies ministry and the video part of a carefully designed hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
mocking the Christian Conservative
Christian conservative
Christian conservative may refer to political position:*Christian right*Christian agrarian conservatism of Europe...
community. Other controversy involve the claims on Donnie's website of what music "will make you gay." This included some of his own music.
Gay rights organizations, such as Heartstrong, are addressing this as a serious threat to the gay community.
Several blogs speculated that Donnie Davies was a character created by improv
Improv
Improv may refer to:* Improvisation, an act of spontaneous invention* Musical improvisation* Improvisational theatre* The Improv, a chain of U.S. comedy clubs* Lotus Improv, a spreadsheet program...
actor Todd Quillen or out gay director Jason Bolicki.
On 9 February 2007, MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
Webcam Correspondent posted a video on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, proving Donnie Davies to be a character played by actor Joey Oglesby. The piece interviewed the actor and director and included their surprise that anyone took the video as being serious.