Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, 1942-2007

Rest in peace, Tammy Faye.

Gay (and drag) icon Tammy Faye Messner has passed away. She had been steadily declining since refusing treatments for cancer.

We found ourselves taken aback by the degree of profound sadness we felt at the news. Much like Shaun Mullen's post at The Moderate Voice. We especially appreciated Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes' thoughtful reflection on Tammy Faye's courageous last appearance on the Larry King Show (also from Moderate Voice).

We could not find a clip from the short-lived, surreal daytime TV show Jim J & Tammy Faye Show, which Tammy Faye hosted along with HIV-positive comedic actor Jim J. Bullock. So, instead, here is an interesting snippet from Larry King, including some comments from her son, Jay Bakker.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

Support the Chronicle  

READ MORE
More Personality Profiles
All About Marilyn
All About Marilyn
Don't look, Norma Jean. Really.

Kate X Messer, March 6, 2008

Driving Down the 101: Somehow Ending Up in Austin
Driving Down the 101: Somehow Ending Up in Austin
Hunky Ben McKenzie spoke to a throng of screaming babes at the UT Obama office.

Kate X Messer, Feb. 29, 2008

More Religion
Birth of a Revival {UPDATE}
Birth of a Revival {UPDATE}
Holy, holy, holy: Austin's working on a queer church

Lawrence Everett Forbes, Jan. 22, 2014

Perry's Day of Fasting for Ballots
Perry's Day of Fasting for Ballots
Governor running for president or pope?

Richard Whittaker, June 7, 2011

More by Kate X Messer
LBJ Library at 50: All the Cake
LBJ Library at 50: All the Cake
Getting some free cake on LBJ's birthday is a rich tradition

Aug. 26, 2021

The Gay Place: It's Aliiive!
It's Aliiive!
You can't keep a Gay Place down; just ask Sarah Marloff

Jan. 20, 2016

KEYWORDS FOR THIS POST

Personality Profiles, Religion, Icons, Tammy Faye Messner, Tammy Faye Bakker, gay, gay news, cancer, deceased, gay icon

MORE IN THE ARCHIVES
One click gets you all the newsletters listed below

Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events

Keep up with happenings around town

Kevin Curtin's bimonthly cannabis musings

Austin's queerest news and events

Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news

Information is power. Support the free press, so we can support Austin.   Support the Chronicle