In the face of this egregious error in judgment by the President -Elect and his transition team, I do believe that our community cannot leave the Rick Warren issue un-commented in the Public Forum of Ideas. Many actions are currently underway to protest the decision to have Rick Warren on the Inaugural platform, and most of them are lobbying and petition-based strategies, which may not be visible to the public-at-large.

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT Events to be held today, which were to bring the Rick Warren issue to the public, may not happen in all areas of the country as originally planned, due to the severe weather conditions that have left large potions of the Northeast and Mid-states buried in snow. A great teaching opporunity missed due to Mother Nature; But she might be wise in having us stay our hands.

A suggestion for wide distribution and consideration: BRING THE WHITE KNOT CAMPAIGN TO THE INAUGURATION. As many here within JTI are offended by the symbolism of having such a hate-monger as Rick Warren being given a National platform with the seeming approval of the Nation's new leader, I do believe that a silent eloquent SYMBOL of Our commitment to ...   more »

December 17, 2008
EQCA Executive Director turns down invitation to Presidential Inauguration

In declining his invitation to attend inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama because of Rev. Rick Warren giving the invocation, EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors released the following statement:

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.

It would be impossible for me to attend the Inauguration where a person who has worked to ...   more »

Statement by Right Reverend John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington

I am profoundly disappointed by President-elect Barack Obama’s decision to invite Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church to offer the invocation at his inauguration. The president-elect has bestowed a great honor on a man whose recent comments suggest he is both homophobic, xenophobic, and willing to use the machinery of the state to enforce his prejudices—even going so far as to support the assassination of foreign leaders.

In his home state of California, Mr. Warren’s campaigned aggressively to deny gay and lesbian couples equal rights under the law, relying on arguments that are both morally offensive and theologically crude. Christian leaders differ passionately with one another over the morality of same-sex relationships, but only the most extreme liken the loving, lifelong partnerships of their fellow citizens to incest and pedophilia, as Mr. Warren has done. The president-elect’s willingness to associate himself with a man who espouses these views as a means of reaching out to religious conservatives suggests a willingness to use the aspirations of gay and lesbian Americans as bargaining chips, and I find this deeply troubling.

Mr. Warren has been rightly praised for his efforts to deepen ...   more »