Obama's first big mistake

Let Obama know what you think about the selection of Rick Warren. His LGBT liaison is Parag Mehta, parag.mehta@ptt.gov.

BLADE BLOG

Rick Warren, conservative author of “The Purpose Driven Life” book series and pastor at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Cal., will deliver the invocation at Barack Obama’s inauguration next month. This is change?

Warren, outspoken proponent of California’s Proposition 8, is James Dobson masquerading as a moderate. A writer for The Nation observed the following after a 2005 interview with Warren: “Lamenting the ‘tyranny of activist judges,’ who obstruct the will of the majority, he evinces no understanding of minority rights or the judiciary's role in enforcing them. Explaining his views about homosexuality and gay rights, he notes, ‘I don't think that homosexuality is the worst sin,’ and, ‘By the way, my wife and I had dinner at a gay couple's home two weeks ago. So I'm not homophobic guy, okay?’

In an interview posted to BeliefNet, Warren extolled the virtues of ancient traditional views of marriage, conveniently forgetting that women were considered property and men could take as many wives as they wanted. “I’m opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage,” Warren said. “I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.”

So, in Warren’s view, same-sex marriage is akin to polygamy, child molestation and incest. And,in a 2005 interview with CNN’s Larry King, Warren went one step further, blaming gay AIDS patients for contracting the disease. “The question isn't how did you get it,” he said. “It's what do you do now? I mean if I'm driving down the street one day on the freeway and I see somebody laying on the side of the road bleeding to death and I go over to them, my first question is, was this your fault? No, I just help the guy.”

Why did Obama choose such a person to deliver the invocation? Where are all the influential gay officials on his team who should be advising him about such matters? Obama should rescind the invitation to Warren. His presence on the inauguration stand is a slap in the faces of the millions of GLBT voters who so enthusiastically supported him. There are plenty of affirming religious figures in this country who could step into that role and not alienate and offend scores of Americans. This tone-deafness to our concerns must not be tolerated. We have just endured eight years of endless assaults on our dignity and equality from a president beholden to bigoted conservative Christians. The election was supposed to have ended that era. It appears otherwise.

http://www.washblade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=23061

There's no other way to spin this as anything else.

i noticed feinstein and pelosi along with two republican slugs were on the committee. i guess the dems did`t want to piss of rickies army and the rethugs loved to stick to the the gay community.

"none of us are free if one of us are chained" to bad barack did`t heed the words of the reverend solomon burke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfzVeTaSAsQ&feature=related

This is a crass "fuck you" insult on the highest level as millions, if not billions, will be watching.

It is unbelievable and I won't be watching the insult.

and you want to have a hissy fit - I sent the following to the link you provided:
I voted for him I trust him to make informed choices -
I am certain he is privy to things I don't know -
Please don't let him secumb to "public opinion"
we have had presidents in the past who checked the polls before making decisions - SO I for one say that I have the hope, no the expectation that "our guy" will do what's right
YES HE CAN

Are You Queer?


You Must Be Queer With Such A Tight Assed Lecture....


So Enlighten Us Dumb Fucks Kitten, (Being the "Progressive Queer" You Are)......


How This Is A Good Decision For The GLBTQ Community.....

Yes I am Queer and I really don't have the ebergy to go off every time some one is stupid, insensitive, or judgemental, This Warren guy will give his "prayer" which will actually be a self-serving speech, then he'll get off the stage and we can get to the rest of the day. Many people don't know any real gays they only know what they see in sit coms or the parades where the most extreme examples are - I don't want to be aas bad as the judgemental, hateful rethugs we love to hate Christians are but definition non-rational and narrow minded they're not evil just pests

To something that is menacing to your "Life" (don't fool yourself, as those types of bastards want to see you dead, and wiped off the planet)....


But also counter productive to your "Lifestyle" is just beyond "most" Queer comprehension in this forum......


Thankfully, most of the rest of us don't dislike ourselves in such a way.... and won't march so easily in lock step.......


I'm still not clear from your post as to why giving this speaker a National platform is good for the GLBTQ community?....


... and why you saw fit to throw in a convoluted example of Queers at Gay Pride Parades, and sit coms (whom are extreme mind you) befuddles me as well...


Are you saying that Queers need the "Warren Prayer" because they are extreme in sit coms, and parades?....

to just let the rapist "finish" then go on her merry way. I've got news for you. It doesn't work like that. If Obama has enough experience as a politician, he should know by now how politics works. He doesn't scratch our backs, we won't be scratching his when he needs it. Actions have consequences.

:rofl:

"informed choices."

I'm sure the voters in Illinois argued the same thing when they voted for that rat fink Democratic governor of theirs.

Try not to be such a blatant Obama apologist.

It's disturbing.

It seems very odd to me that anyone cannot grasp the concept of what an insult this man is to the gay community and to women.

Forced birthing, at the cost of a woman's life-- and the fact he sees gays as the worst sinners and equates us to pedophiles and incest and thinks we should be "cured" -- I don't see how anyone can condone this man being given a platform at this historic event.

It's utter fucking bullshit.

We queers are killed in the streets and straights get away with the gay panic defense. In most of the country, it is still legal to discriminate against us in employment, housing, and even medical care. Men like this preach hate from the pulpit that directly leads to the assault and murder to LGBT people. Rick Warren and his ilk are responsible for the abortion clinic bombings... outright terrorism... in the 80's and 90's.

It's a fucking disgrace and all you people spouting on about how it's not important can kiss my ass.

I guess we gay folk and women are just too emotional, huh?

How deliberate it was is a matter of opinion until Obama tells us that it was intended as a 'fuck you' to the GLBT community.

But this; And,in a 2005 interview with CNN’s Larry King, Warren went one step further, blaming gay AIDS patients for contracting the disease. “The question isn't how did you get it,” he said. “It's what do you do now? I mean if I'm driving down the street one day on the freeway and I see somebody laying on the side of the road bleeding to death and I go over to them, my first question is, was this your fault? No, I just help the guy.”

Is kind of the opposite of 'blaming gay AIDS patients for contracting the disease'.

That's Warren saying he doesn't care how the disease was contracted, just that it gets dealt with.


How one could interpret that differently is remarkable.

to be inclusive in in selections - probably there are people blogging furiously about how he sold them out by putting gays in his cabinet. I actually would prefer no "convocation" because usually it's not a real prayer just a political rant disguised ad a prayer - I would have rather seen a woman (gay or straight Episcopal minister or someone from the Metropolitan Community Church - my previous comments were meant to convey that we can't and shouldn't try to micromanage. I am old enough to know that it is unrealistic to think that someone is going to do everything just the way you expect. There are so many - big - things to deal with. If this guy Warren says anything hateful in his "prayer" then let the shit fall on him. i'll be there slinging it with you - and probably my straight and gay family and friends will be there too.