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President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Orange County's infamous evangelical minister Rick Warren to lead his inauguration's invocation has met with much objection, mostly from the gay community, who believe Warren is homophobic. According to Top of the Ticket, "Obama has said he doesn't agree with some things Warren says and vice versa," but the two have agreed to disagreed rather congenially since this summer, when Warren invited Obama to speak at his Saddleback Church. Warren insists he is "not at all homophobic."
This weekend, people across the country are slated to conduct protests against Obama's decision to have Warren take the stage called "Light Up the Night", focusing on Warren's support of the "Yes on 8" campaign in California. The LA Weekly notes that "Obama will continue to get an earful he probably never expected" this Saturday night, when protesters are due to assemble locally in Silver Lake and Hollywood at candlelight vigils organized by Join the Impact, who have "also organized protests in San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., and other cities, with the Warren controversy becoming a central rallying point."
But Obama's connection to Prop 8 proper is weak. The LA Weekly points out that "Obama, who made few campaign stops in California, saw little of the Prop. 8 battle in person this summer and fall, yet defended himself as a 'fierce advocate' for gay rights at a Chicago news conference last night. He does not appear to be backing away from his choice of Warren."
Obama and Warren at the Saddleback Church, Aug. 16, 2008 | AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File
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He's a "fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians, but:
-Never campaigned against Prop 8
-Never repudiated his voice being used to support Prop 8
-Didn't appoint a single gay or lesbian person to his cabinet
-Didn't include a gay or lesbian speaker at his inauguration.
However, there WILL be a gay and lesbian marching band at the inauguration! So he's on our side! Really!!!!
Oh, and can I add that after prop 8 passed, and there were hundreds of thousands of people protesting across the country, he didn't make a single comment about it?
this is what we get when we rely on our straight allies to fight for us.
In October of this year Obama said he was against Prop 8, but then went out of his way to give the GOP a lovely soundbite for their robo-calls:
"i believe marriage is between a man and a woman"
"Light Up the Night" wasn't organized specifically because of the Rick Warren decision. It was organized as a peaceful protest regarding LGBT rights in general.
I think Obama appointed Nancy Sutley, lesbian deputy mayor of energy and environment, of our fair city to head the White House Council on Environmental Equality. Is this considered a cabinet position, though?
And no public candidate will ever come out in support of gay marriage. Even when they try to couch it as a "state's rights" issue, it still comes out super weasely.
stop it stop it stop IT!!!
the inauguration committee and Obama made a huge mistake by picking Warren. This is very true and to put it bluntly, it's fucked up. as a queer identified person...my friends and allies are pissed and have every right to be.
but i can't stand how people are ready to hang him out to dry because of this. CA wasn't the only state that had an anti gay marriage law, FL and AZ had one as well. he spoke against prop 8 and so did biden. we can't turn back time and talk about what obama could of done because it's the past. let's move forward and be productive rather than pick on every single thing obama could of done better. there’s a new facebook group with a list of letter-writing targets who were involved with the decision:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40933512660
honestly i think obama isn't a "h8r" and he's not homophobic. yes, he said marriage is between a man and a woman. but he's done SO MUCH more to speak for GLBT right than any person that's ran for the presidency. he has to not only get the "progressives", but he has to take a shine on the right wingers too. that's what you have to do to run for presidents in this country. i hate to say it, but it's true. BTW - christian right folks are just as pissed that warren is speaking on 01/20/09. because they don't like obama and his take on prop 8 and abortion.
obama's cabinet is the most DIVERSE cabinet in the history of this country with women, people of color and out lesbians on his team. personally i can't cut the Obama cord just yet. i will not join the "hipster" band wagon and hate hate on obama. i rather write to the members of Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
Real change is going to have to come from the ground up. To get elected president you have to appeal to a strong base of support nation wide, and the unfortunate reality is there are huge chunks of America that are quite the opposite of gay friendly.
What ever Obama's personal views are, if he throws his support too strongly to the gay community it what bring his support down in a lot of places. It needs to be a block by block, city by city and state by state battle, and then when a sufficient tipping point is reached, then we have a shot of national support and changing federal law.
i hear you Rachel, but the fact is, Obama made the Warren choice HIMSELF...
"That was solely the choice of the president-elect," said Gil Duran, a spokesman for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who chairs the congressional committee. Obama's staff sent explicit orders for whom to include in the inaugural ceremony up to Capitol Hill, since Congress is, technically, in charge of that part of the day. "Sen. Feinstein obviously disagrees with the views of Rev. Warren on issues that affect the gay and lesbian community," Duran said. "However, Sen. Feinstein respects the president-elect's prerogative to select a cleric to deliver the invocation." (That one doesn't need any translation -- Feinstein's office was politely, respectfully, throwing Obama under the bus.)
it's a slap in the face and Obama must have just banked on us getting over it [which we will]. it just sucks to get slapped in the first place. it seems an overt "f--- you", even if time and distance proves otherwise.
I'm disappointed in Obama's decision, but I'm willing to give him a pass for now. His actions during the Prop 8 debate and now this, though, have made me suspicious. Here's hoping that Obama as a "fierce advocate" of gay rights will prove his support with actions.
i'm not denying that at all buzz. it sucks and he made a horrible mistake. how can we make real change if we don't let him know that he made a bad decision.
be pro-active and productive about it. this issue is not going away any time soon.
All I want for Xmas is SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. There has to be a prayer at the inauguration? Seriously?? Argh...
Rachel, are you really buying all that? I think I laid out how this ISN'T just about Warren. On November 4th, the gays took a really hard hit, which to this day he's completely ignored. (Has ANYONE heard him comment on prop 8 since the election?!?!?!)
This is a clear signal that Obama is tone-deaf to the plight of a persecuted minority. It's clear he feels free to use us as a bargaining chip, and that our interests will be the first to be sacrificed in the name of "compromise."
This man is NOT representing our interests.
I am prepared to eat my words here, but he has a LOT of work to do. And DON'T ask me to wait for his second term, because supporting me will cost him his re-election. I'm not supporting a man who can't deliver very specific things:
-Pass a trans-inclusive Employee Non-Discrimination Act
-Repeal Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell
-Repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act
All of which he promised to do during his campaign. Right now, I have very little confidence in him.
Oh, and Nancy Suttley is NOT in the Cabinet. If you don't have the word "Secretary" in front of your name, you aren't in the Cabinet. (I'm personally not so concerned about this, but it helps flesh out a pattern of neglect on Obama's part.)
Apart from everything else, the thing that bugs me is that the protesting is going to, once again, be focused in Silverlake, one of the most gay-friendly areas this side of San Francisco. Why? It seems almost to be a cop-out. Though they may be more likely to be heckled or harrassed in more conservatine areas, aren't they also more likely to change someone's mind and generate publicity...and isn't that what this kind of protesting is all about? It's not like civil rights protesters just went into black neighborhoods and sat at the lunch counters where they were allowed, right?
Great, now do we have to boycott our federal taxes?
Down with Marjorie Obama!
Obama does have a lot of work. No argument there rdm24. But I personally am not cutting him off just yet. The end. :)
Just to clarify... Obama has said (indirectly) several times that he does not support gay marriage.
The reason he swung to the No on Prop 8 side is because he strongly disagrees with any motion that will make changes to the Constitution. (which he has mentioned several times as well)
The reason he invited Rick Warren is because he thinks the queers are expendable, plain and simple.
"Fierce advocate" my ass.
Indirectly? ...
I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union.
I am not somebody who promotes same-sex marriage, but I do believe in civil unions.
--Barack Obama, Saddleback Presidential Candidates Forum, August 17, 2008
I'd say that was pretty direct.
It is amazing that such a small magnet of people can be so dense. Obama is the President of the United States of America. What, you thought he was going to be the first Gay President. He is only the first Black president in skin color. He has not taken on any major Black issues.
Black discrimination in employment, housing, and law enforcement far exceeds any uncontrolled sexual desire that 1 percent of the populus has and a marital desire that only 10-15 percent of that small group desire.
If you guys wish to excummunicate yourselves from America or California, that is your choice. Some Blacks chose to flee this country and others fled the South and went to racial friendly states.
YOU GUYS ARE JUST COWARDS. IF YOU THINK THAT THE 70% OF BLACKS BETRAYED YOU, THEN TAKE YOUR BONEY BUTTS DOWN CRENSHAW BLVD AND MARCH.
You will get much publicity and if you dare deface a Church, sadly, a lot of you may not return. You see, even the few criminal elements in Black neighborhoods have a reverance for Churches, the Bible, and God's ordainment of Marriage.
Obama said "i believe marriage is between a man and a woman". If you or anyone else can not follow him with that stance, then that is your choice not to follow.
He is the leader, so you either follow or don't. He is not following your confused and ill-conceived notion about life.
It is your choice to have a Psychosexual Gender Identity Disorder, but no matter how you slice it 1-2% means that your behavior is ABNORMAL.
You think that Harry Hay, the founder of the National Gay Activist Movement, was normal in his homosexual lifestyle and got there by normal means. No, he was raped by a man as a boy, and grew up to be a pedophile who raped boys and promoted MAN/BOY love relations and NAMBLA. He believed that is was important to reach little boys at a young age, nuture them, and mentor them into little gay homsexual boys.
Obama's only interest is supporting himself and African-Americans. It is obvious since he is denying taxpaying American citizens of a basic civil right - marriage. I saw his self-serving agenda and his disturbing lack or interest in others at the Iowa primary when he said, "When America gets a cold, Black America gets pneumonia". "Poor America" would be inclusive, for all, regardless of race.
Why doesn't Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton support this travesty of justice against gays? Again, like Oprah's bias, we will see "diversity" of a special kind, and it will not include the true demographic percentage of other minorities.
As a heterosexual woman, the Gays need people who will be vocal advocates; lightening rods for their community. No group is more discriminated against than the GLBT community. I have witnessed it against my friends and brother.
With Obama and his ilk, i.e. politicians, and "justice fighters", it's "we get ours, before anybody". It is time to take to the streets and be seen and heard. I will be with you b/c my life and the world is better b/c my brother and friends are in it, gay or straight.
The GLBT and the LGBT which constantly employs NAMBLA members as keynote speakers, has never taken a stand for women's rights, against Anti-Semitism and for Black rights. What makes you think that gays should all of a sudden be special to these groups?
By the way, Obama has taken more of a stance for America as a group than any other President. I am sure that you stood up and shouted with Hillary CLinton, as she trumpeted her women's rights presidential platform and proclaimed her 18 million cracks in the imaginery glass ceiling. Obama never proclaimed he put a dent in the oh so real cement block ceiling which hover over Black men.
I am sad that your brother has been lynched, burned, enslaved, made to share bathrooms with women and not allowed to use white Only bathrooms, spit on, beaten Rodney King sytle, denied housing nad employment, etc.
Tell your friends and brother to get in line, because Blacks, Asians, Latinos, and women are still waiting while he gets to choose to hide is gayness and for sure people are discriminated by race and gender long before it is figured out how who they CHOOSE to have sex with.