In February 2008 during the democratic primary, in response to criticism that he was more about words than substance, Barack Obama gave a speech in which he extolled the power of words. In that speech, Obama recited the now famous line borrowed from Deval Patrick, “Don’t tell me words don’t matter.” Obama was correct, words do matter. In fact, words can be very powerful. Given his understanding of how much words matter, it is difficult to comprehend how Obama selected Rick Warren, the pastor of the Saddleback Church, to give the invocation at the inauguration. Rick Warren was a strong supporter of Prop 8 in California and recently said that in his view the relationships of gays and lesbians are equivalent to incest, pedophilia and polygamy.

Last night I listened to the debate regarding Obama’s choice of Warren. Obama supporters said that the choice was one of inclusiveness, spiritual bipartisanship and that there is room for everyone under the big tent. These are the same arguments they made last fall when Obama had the anti-gay, ex-gay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin emcee a large public fundraising event in South Carolina. Defending their inclusion of McClurkin, Obama’s camp stressed their vision of ...   more »

… the real problem has nothing to do with ministers and everything to do with Obama's inability or unwillingness to be a moral leader. Richard Cohen

By Richard Cohen | December 23, 2008 | Washington Post

Not that he was planning to attend, but Barack Obama should know that my sister's inauguration night party -- the one for which she was preparing Obama Punch -- has been canceled. The notice went out over the weekend, by e-mail and word of mouth, that Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation had simply ruined the party. Warren is anti-gay, and my sister, not to put too fine a point on it, is not. She's gay.

She is -- or was -- a committed Obama supporter. On the weekend before the presidential election, my sister and my mother drove from the Boston area, where they both live, to Obama's New Hampshire headquarters in Manchester. There my mother made 76 phone calls for Obama, which is not bad for someone who is 96, and gives you an idea of the level of commitment to Obama in certain precincts of my family.

I should say right off that my mother feels less ...   more »

Heed Harvey’s warning. Sadly, it explains why normally sensible people are defending Mr. Obama’s appalling choice of Rick Warren to deliver the inauguration invocation: It’s easier to be part of the in-crowd than to stand up for your friends or even for civil and human rights for all. GS

Harvey Fierstein | Huffington Post | 2008.12.23

A couple of boys were calling my best friend a faggot one unhappy day at summer camp. Courses of action seemed slim to my adolescent mind. I could stand up for Jack branding myself a fag as well and insuring myself a miserable summer, or I could join in with the name callers, lose my closest friend, but assure my standing with the majority. I sacrificed my friend on the altar of popularity. I don't think I need to tell you that political expediency was a terrific short-term solution but a long-term nightmare. My summer concluded uneventfully but none of those boys became my friend or did me any favors. And forty years later I still feel the loss of Jack along with a piece of my self respect that I can never win back. Mine was an act of cowardice and betrayal.

It seems ...   more »

By Cindi Knox on December 21, 2008 7:18 AM

On a Christian denominational discussion board, a person who is gay said the Christian church is the stated enemy of the gay community and a person who is clergy in that denomination said “Or do you mean the gay community is the stated enemy of many Christian churches, the UCC & MCC excluded, at least.”

Which got me thinking:

"What might it look like if someone wanted to treat Christians the way gay people are treated?"

For one, tax benefits afforded to other not-for-profit institutions would be denied to churches, probably on the basis of separation of church and state. There are some who advocate for this, but they are not GLBT groups.

Christianity would be portrayed as a form of mental illness to be cured. There are some who advocate for this, but they are not GLBT groups.

When children gave their lives to Christ, their parents could have them shipped off to programs where they would be taught how not to be Christian, showing tough love for these wayward youth. There may be some who advocate for this, but they are not GLBT groups.

There would be programs to ...   more »

Contact any or all of the following. Tell them that Rick Warren must be dropped from the inauguration and that Mr. Obama must publicly apologize for his aggregious attack on the civil and human rights on American citizens!

Phone the Obama Transition Team at 202-540-3000. press “2,” to register your complaint with a person. Be sure to make them write down your information and agree to forward it to Obama.

Write a letter to the transition team using their webform at http://change.gov/page/content/contact

Write to Parag Mehta, Obama’s LGBT liaison on the transition team at parag.mehta@ptt.gov.

Contact members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Sen. Harry Reid

Sen. Bob Bennett

Rep. Nancy Pelosi

Rep. Steny Hoyer

Rep. John Boehner

I’ll betcha Rick Warren isn’t man enough to state these beliefs in his invocation! GS

1. Jews will burn in Hell if they don’t believe in Jesus.
2. Evolution is a lie.
3. Pets do not go to heaven. Neither do people who have never heard of God or Jesus.
4. Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden and homosexuals cannot be members of Saddleback Church.
5. Embryonic stem cell research and abortion are murder.

Saddleback Church