Tammy Faye Bakker Messner was an inspiration to drag queens everywhere. But she was much more than that. She reached out to gay people with love. Not the "love the sinner, hate the sin" crap, or worse, that you get from most evangelicals.
She was non-judgemental. You felt a vibe off her that said she truly loved all people, including gays.

Tammy Faye spoke publicly about AIDS at a time when everyone else was afraid to touch the subject. She spoke of AIDS publicly years before Ronald Reagan even mentioned the word.

I dislike evangelicals because they've forgotten what it means to be a follower of Christ. They spew hatred for those they don't approve of. If Jesus were walking among us today, he would be in the prisons and the crack houses. He would be comforting and healing the sick, including those with AIDS. And he would be expressing love for all people, not just those who follow a particular sect of Christianity. Tammy Faye was the anti-thesis of the modern evangelical. The spirit of Jesus' love for all people surely lived inside her.

Gay people were originally drawn to Tammy Faye because of her fabulousness. What self-respecting gay boy wouldn't? The hair, the makeup, and the personal hardships and tragedies are all ingredients in the Gay Icon recipe. But we came to love her because she loved us first. Unconditionally. Unashamedly. Unabashedly.