(OPINION) If you grew up in early 2000s youth groups, then you’re likely familiar with the 1990s Christian band Caedmon’s Call. But what you’re likely not familiar with is the band’s lead singer Derek Webb “deconstructing” — and putting out a song praising drag queens.
The song is called “Boys Will Be Girls” and features his friend drag queen “Flamy Grant.” Webb says he no longer identifies as a Christian but rather as a progressive.
According to TheBlaze, The song features lyrics like “sometimes boys will be girls / sometimes armor will be pearls / what you put on / oh it shows the world how hard you’re fighting sister” and “I heard Jesus loved and spent his life with those who are abandoned by proud and fearful men / so if a church won’t celebrate and love you/they’re believing lies that can’t save you or them.”
While Webb is no longer a Christian, he still refers to Jesus, the Bible, and the church as authoritative in people’s lives.“He’s really just using it as a mallet to get you Christians to do what he thinks is right, even though he doesn’t actually believe in Christ anymore,” Allie Beth Stuckey comments.
Though he may believe in the person of Jesus, it’s not the same. “You can’t just believe that Jesus was a good teacher, because he also said that he was Lord.
He also said that he was the son of God, and so he’s a liar, in which case he wouldn’t be a good teacher,” Stuckey explains. “Or he is a good teacher, because he’s not a lunatic, he’s not a liar, and therefore the only other option that you’re left with is that he was who he says he was.”
Stuckey, who used to be a fan of Webb, finds it all extremely disappointing. “It’s pretty disturbing,” Stuckey says. “They seem so sincere, they seem so good. It’s like how could you be writing those songs and feeling and singing those lyrics about the wonders of God and the majesty of Jesus and the beauty of the gospel and your heart still gets so calloused and still gets so hard and your mind gets so ignorant.” “That’s pretty scary.”
