Simmons was a born - again Christian .
A Christian Broadcasting Network video profile intimated that Simmons came to see homosexuality as immoral , but Simmons ' brother said that Simmons was always proud to identify as a gay black man .
Simmons was a born - again Christian , and a Christian Broadcasting Network video profile intimated that Simmons came to see homosexuality as immoral , but Simmons ' brother said that Simmons was always proud to identify as a gay black man .