Some in the LGBT community are already expressing outrage over the selection of Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration. The selection of Warren, who heads Saddleback Church in California, is being compared to Obama’s appearance with “ex-gay” gospel singer Donnie McClurkin during the Democratic primary. While Warren is often referred to as a “moderate evangelical,” he was pretty clear in his support for Proposition 8 in California, as you can tell by watching the above video.
For more, go here or here. Also, here is a transcript of Warren’s recent interview with Beliefnet in which Warren cited free speech concerns in supporting Prop 8.
UPDATE: People for the American Way has issued a statement saying it’s “profoundly disappointed” with the selection of Warren. And the gay blog Box Turtle Bulletin has posted a list of Obama people you can contact to express your outrage, should you have any.
UPDATE NO. 2: Regardless of Obama’s motives, which are being speculated about in the comments below, he is facing major backlash from the LGBT community over this decision. Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, has drafted a letter to Obama asking him to reconsider the selection of Warren, which is called “a blow to the LGBT community.” The letter also says Obama has “tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at [his] table.” Ouch.
The role of clergy in presidential inaugural ceremonies is a recent development, having commenced in 1933, when Franklin Roosevelt had a minister give a benediction. At his second inauguration, Roosevelt had both an invocation and a benediction. Inaugural prayers have been offered by Catholic priests, Protestant ministers and Jewish rabbis. In fact, John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, had a rabbi offer the benediction at his inauguration. We probably shouldn’t read too much into this. It may just be that Obama is trying to mend some fences or build some bridges with his selection of Rick Warren.
I’m so glad for the previous two responses. Are we going to knock Obama for EVERY single possible thing he does that might just possibly be related to something anti-gay? There are bigger issues at hand and this is just merely a distraction to say it is anything remotely homophobic. There was no way Obama would have won here anyways with his selection.
I totally agree. He’s got every interest group pulling at him like a rag doll. He’s trying to bring unity, not cater to just one particular group. There are alot of disenfranchised, conservative Christians who need to feel the Obama love.
Obama could have selected another conservative Christian – not sure what message this is specifically sending to California (not just community), since Warren’s not very, ummm, “moderate” when it comes to Prop 8.
America has no shortage of Evangelicals, so he could have choose someone/anyone that would have a more historic meaning.
However, please know,
I am not suggesting a protest or a boycott.
Embrace the Homophobe.
Hug the Homophobe.
Bring the Homphobe into your life.
Give them cookies and tapico.
If Rich Warren were here right now, I would give him a big ole bear hug and a bottle of poppers so he can contiues to preach to hundreds of thousands that I less of an American than he.
That God made this homophobic Preacher a better man than me. While Reverend Warren may have all the financial riches, I have a full case of poppers.
Shhhhh. ….
Lay low….
Be quiet, it will all go away.
Don’t let the Breeders see us or they will take our drivers license.
Hey perhaps we wouldn’t have got into this situation if we would have just stayed in
the closet.
Look there is some sand, let’s put our head into it.
I voted for Obama — he does NOT deserve a walk on this. What are you folks thinking? Obama has thrown us under the bus — I am mad as hell and I am not taking it any more. I wish I could get my campaign money back. All this unity and big tent crap is just that — crap. We have been sold a false bill of goods. As a progressive, I need to feel the Obama love!
Let’s not blow this out of proportion. Joe Solmonese saying he feels dissed over the choice of Rick Warren for the inaugural invocation seems hollow. He knows that HRC not only dropped the ball on the marriage issue (as the Dallas Voice poll indicated, the marriage issue is more important to our community than ENDA, Hate Crimes and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell — the three issues that have been HRC’s main focus) and failed to provide the leadership and the resources to defeat Prop 8, so now he’s feigning outrage over something that is arguably more symbolic than substantive. As the consummate politician, Obama chose Warren because Warren is the heir apparent to Billy Graham (so said Time magazine in 2005).
Warren is certainly no friend of ours. I am disturbed and have already written my friends with the Obama administration to that fact. Now, let’s see who he picks for Secretary of the Navy. An openly gay man looks like the front runner. Preachers come and go, but official appointments really matter.
OH MY GOD! I agree with Jon. I know you guys don’t want to hear it but Warren is probably one of the most respected Christian leaders in this country. So why would Obama choose Warren? Because he did it for THEM (McCain supporters, conservatives, etc), not for YOU. How dare here he try to appease the other 98% of this country! I think picking this fight is ridiculous. It’s a freakin (censoring myself) invocation, not the Gettysburg address. It can’t be all about you. Let the Christians have this bone. It will probably be the last thing they get out of Obama.
Remember, Obama’s response to the “outrage” over his choice was to remind us of his desire to unify the nation “around our shared values and ideals.” Part of the change Obama promised was a movement away from the politics of exclusion to the politics of inclusion. His choice of Rick Warren to offer a prayer (not a political speech, people, but a prayer) is not to exclude the GLBT community but to included the Evangelical Christians. I agree with blogger Chris Crain, who says “the shiny bauble of a controversy will always distract the ideological purists among us, who are spoiling for a fight more than they are fighting for a cause.” We haven’t been thrown under the bus. We’ve simply been asked to make room for more passengers.
Obama, yes does say that he is for man an women marriage, but he also says that he will not BAN gay marriage, he will not take away OUR rights as partners or lovers, he will try to give us the equality we deserve, and that is why my girlfriend and i are for OBAMA.
thank you.
I just heard that Elizabeth Hasslebeck thinks that Rick Warren is the perfect choice. So I always look to her for the best political advice.
When Hasslebeck talks, people listen.
I am finding out more and more about Rev Dick Warren that makes me love him more than I thought I can ever love another man.
From Dateline tonight
Q: Are you homophobic?
Warren: Of course not. I have always treated them with respect. When they wanna talk to me, I talk to them. When the protesters came, we served them water and donuts.
WOW…..
He talks to us, he gives water, he gives us donuts. …….I mean, that is all we are reallly asking for isn’t it?
I’ll take water and donuts over human rights any day.
Right? Of course right.
Jon
Quoting Chris Crain explains your position on all I have seen posted here by you.
Chris Crain doesn’t live in the United States. Chris Crain chose to leave America and live in South America. He is as conservative as a gay man can be. Note, he didn’t stay and fight for his rights or our rights but selected to sunshine over equal rights for all.
Rick Warren is the mouthpiece for Homophobes. Who are you to tell us how to react?
Quoting Chris Crain makes you look like an azzhole.
I still think Warren should not have been included at all…. If it was Hillary’s inauguration, and she had 100 civil rights advocates and one racist speaking – don’t you think there would hell to pay?
Inclusiveness does not mean you have to include people whose beliefs are offensive. It is bad judgment, and the fact that Obama’s people are trying to defend it, proves that.
Again, if Jesse Helms or Strom Thurman were still around – would they have been included? I doubt it – while they present a different point of view, it would be a point of view that the majority of Obama’s supporters (and no doubt Obama himself) would find offensive.
The choice of Warren proves to me that discriminatory views of gays is something that Obama may publicly say he does not agree with, but it is not something that he finds completely offensive.
Jon
Please tell me how your rationalize this?
Here’s a little quiz, Jack E. Name the minister who offered the invocation at JFK’s inauguration. How about LBJ’s? Ike’s first inauguration? How about his second? Who prayed at President Truman’s inauguration? Are those too far back in time? What about Carter’s inauguration? Reagan’s? Remember who prayed at the second Reagan inauguration? What was the name of the minister who prayed at the first Bush inauguration? Surely you remember who prayed at both Clinton inaugurals. Who were they? What about W? He had two inaugurations. Who prayed at his second? Now do you get the point? NO ONE REMEMBERS AND NO ONE CARES who offers prayers at the presidential inauguration. Why are we so quick to kick Obama to the curb over this decision?
Jon, let them be mad. This whole situation is ridiculous! Can’t satisfy anyone in this damn country. As a bisexual, I too believe this was a stupid mistake. Good intentions, bad timing. As an African American, I wanna say “SHUT DA HELL UP!” The LGBT community may be pissed and done with him but another minority group (the blacks) would like to see him succeed and prove you bitches wrong. Polite, Civil Tisha is DONE! Here comes GHETTO Tisha.
Jon
I am not sure any of those Presidents you mentioned ever spoke of change like Obama has.
I don’t know of anyone that is pissed and done with him. There is the war, economy,
housing, and other issues that I expect him to turn around. Like Tisha said, the timing on this move was really bad.
Pray the gay away, like having sex with babies, incest, give them water and donuts…
this is rhetoric that we have heard for years. For the last 8 years we have done more than our share of reaching accross the religious aisle. Maybe it is time for them to think about reaching out to us………or at the very least…..just get the fuck out of our bedrooms and give us the same rights as everyone eles Rick Warren is a fat fuck and that in and of itself is a walking sin
Thank you Tisha for putting this conversation in ghetto terms.