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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyDecember 19th, 2008
Geoff Kors, the Executive Director of Equality California, had decided that he cannot attend an event that will feature a religious leader that has, in recent weeks, been spouting homophobic rants.
Here’s the email he has sent out:
It is extremely disappointing and hurtful that President-elect Obama has chosen California Rev. Rick Warren, who actively supported Prop 8 and the elimination of existing civil rights for LGBT Californians, to give the invocation at his inauguration.
Accordingly, I have decided to decline the invitation to attend the inauguration as I cannot be part of a celebration that highlights and gives voice to someone who advocated repealing rights from me and millions of other Californians.
I was looking forward to hearing a speech by the new President about his vision of a new America and an end to the politics of division where one group is pitted against another.
Rick Warren does not share that vision. Far from it. Instead, he actively works to divide Americans based on who we are and has been an ardent supporter of efforts to ostracize LGBT Americans. He compared “gay marriage to incest, pedophilia and polygamy and repeated the inaccurate charge that without Prop 8, conservative preachers could be prosecuted for hate crimes. He described ‘social gospel’ Christians of the 20th century as closet Marxists.”
It would be impossible for me to attend the inauguration where a person who has worked to deny my and Equality California members’ equality is setting the tone.
I commend Kors for the courage of his conviction.
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tonykw
December 19th, 2008
You don’t invite a pedophile to a childrens’ birthday party!
You don’t invite an arsonist to a Fourth of July party!
You don’t invite an armed terrorist on board the aircraft that you are flying in!
SVSprinkle
December 19th, 2008
I agree. I had my room reserved, and two friends going with me. Now, we cannot go, given the right-winger Obama has invited to pray at his inauguration. I was really looking forward to this, but, once again, it appears LGBT people may still be used as pawns in a larger political game.
For theological reasons, I am opting out.
Hank
December 19th, 2008
I’m have to boycott too.
HappyCat
December 19th, 2008
I hope every LGBT person and LGBT supporters boycott Obama’s Inauguration.
Rick Warren is the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan of Anti-Gay.
What part of this does Obama not understand?
Bill Ware
December 19th, 2008
I intend to watch the inaugurating, all of it including the invocation. As a military academy graduate I remember the first principle of war, “know your enemy.” I want to here every word Rick Warren says.
Attmay
December 20th, 2008
If they want the Bible to be the law of the land, then they can move to Iran. We don’t want them in the United States of America.
I wasn’t going to watch the coronation anyway.
MIchelle
December 20th, 2008
I’m not prior military but I agree with Bill. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. To further elaborate; It’s Obama’s future policies I’m interested in and, if nothing else, the Christian zealots can’t say they didn’t have their chance to speak or weren’t invited to the “party” which would just give them more to whine about.
Though, of course, being a gay “married” native Californian from Orange County, there’s no way I can watch the inauguration without getting ill, but then again, I moved away from the US to get away from all the hate of the last 8 years so I can only hope that America becomes “the Land of the Free” and someday maybe I can return.
It was sad to watch California (my former home) appear as part of the “redneck nation”. But freedom does allow even the most evil amongst us a voice if nothing else, and being free (at least here overseas), I can choose not to listen. Hopefully this is just part of Obama “reaching across” that table.
grantdale
December 20th, 2008
So do we Timothy.
We wish we could say the same thing about the conviction of your new President.
He was the best of two choices, right?
Time will tell.
Time. Will. Tell.
RomeoandJoe
December 20th, 2008
Obama is screwing the people who voted for him in order to intice the people who didn’t vote for him! Hillary would not have done it. Obama might as well invite David Duke and Louis Farrakhan –make it a three sum! We will watch and check on this WARren character — he must have molested someone or eaten shrimp – forbidden in his bible — or perhaps kept a slave — permitted in his bible!
David C.
December 20th, 2008
Perhaps some of us in our rush to judgement of Obama have become a victim of our own paranoia. There is another perspective for us to consider here.
Bob Leahy
December 20th, 2008
“I was looking forward to hearing a speech by the new President about his vision of a new America and an end to the politics of division where one group is pitted against another.”
Surprise! Now we are all seeing the start of this vision of a new America. This is what happens when people vote for a candidate whose entire platform was “change.” What does change mean? He never specified it – and no one ever asked. We thought it meant change to be more inclusive of gays. This minister doesn’t quite advocate burning gays at the stake. Perhaps he’d like to use a barbeque.
Obama spent more than 10 years attending a church listening to another religious idiot. Everyone wrote it off, and said, “Well, he was just sitting there.” Right. You don’t sit there for a decade if you don’t agree with what the minister is saying.
The last time I looked, Christ never said a word against gays. He did say a lot about loving your enemies. I guess that isn’t in these ministers’ version of the Bible.
Duncan
December 21st, 2008
The “religious idiot” that Mr Leahy mentions is welcoming to gay couples and they are often seen holding hands in his church. So I have heard.
And while this is disappointing coming from Mr Obama, would Mrs Clinton (“She has a difficult relationship with the truth”) be any better?
Timothy Kincaid
December 21st, 2008
Until presented with evidence I will not take as fact that there are gay couples that hold hands at Saddleback. Please link to a first hand source.
AdrianT
December 21st, 2008
I would urge LGBT people, rather than boycotting, to consider being there and making that disgust known at the event – in a civil manner – a chorus of ‘shame on you!’, or turning one’s back en-masse, rather than simply not being there. The whole world will be watching you after all.
It seems to be a tradition that after every single election, the winner declares he will reach out as much as possible to the opponents. The goal of achieving unity for unity’s sake is obscene, when it compromises the quest for justice.
Duncan
December 23rd, 2008
Sorry for the delay.
The only source I know is a column from The Economist magazine, though I generally consider these as factually reliable:
Lexington column, “Wright’s wrongs”.
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=3856663&story_id=11294480
Available without subscription.
Timothy Kincaid
December 23rd, 2008
Duncan,
I misunderstood your previous comment. I thought that you were saying that gay couples attend Rick Warren’s church and hold hands. That was the source of my skepticism.
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