THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 9, 1995 TAG: 9503090453
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: VIRGINIA
SOURCE: BY ESTHER DISKIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Mel White, a 54-year-old gay minister in the 23rd day of a hunger strike in the Virginia Beach city jail, told his supporters Wednesday that he will drink only water to sustain himself.
White, who once worked as a ghostwriter for Pat Robertson, started his fast to protest Robertson's refusal to meet with him. White was arrested Feb. 15 for trespassing at the Christian Broadcasting Network compound on his second attempt to meet with Robertson.
He has told his supporters not to post the $1,000 bond and free him.
Until Wednesday, he had limited his daily intake to only a cup of milk, a cup of Tang and water. He has already lost at least 13 pounds, his supporters said, and has experienced some dizzy spells as a result of his hunger strike. Medical officials at the jail are monitoring his condition closely.
``I'm concerned about his health, but I believe in his sincerity. Because of that, I support him in his choice,'' said Dawn Rankin-Phelps, one of White's supporters. ``It will take something drastic to open Pat's eyes.''
Pat Robertson, in a Feb. 7 letter to White, called homosexuality ``the last stage in the decline of a population'' and declined to meet with him. Officials at CBN call White's voluntary stint in jail and hunger strike a ``publicity stunt'' to boost sales of his autobiography.
Each day, a delegation of White's supporters walks to CBN to request a meeting with Robertson. On Sunday, a rally in support of White at the Unitarian Church of Norfolk drew more than 300 people. by CNB