Obama picks Rick Warren for inaugural invocation, gay leaders furious

[Neinrein]

Hopefully this will start to make people realize that social issues matter as much as my little toe in national politics.

I have to agree with you. If we can lose social issues then we can kill the Party of Lincoln in the South forever. It's honestly atrocious that people feel so eager to belong to a party whose history they can't even be proud of. Even if I do believe in traditional values, I really can't bring myself to vote for Lincoln's party unless there are unique circumstances, because it is still the party that villified us for 100 years until they suddenly realized that playing the race card could win them some votes. They don't belong down here. Last time they had control of the governments down here we drove them out through guerilla warfare. I'd like to see a more peaceful end this time but I agree that it does need to end.

[Holmes]

Well it's a darn good thing he's not making a speech on gay rights, or that he's advising the president in any way!

[Matt Damon™]

Am I the only non-conservative who isn't outraged/caring about this?

[Holmes]

I'm a flaming liberal and I think the ourage is too big. I'm not saying this guy is a good person and I probably won't watch the prayer, but gay people need to understand that not everything will go their way and instead of freaking out about every little thing, they should actually... do something about it.

When prop 8 passed and all the protests were going on, I thought something good was finally happening. Sure, there was black bashing, Mormon bashing, Republican bashing, and much more, but instead of just sitting down, feeling sorry for themselves and crying alone, the gay community was finally making a stand. Now it's back to feeling sorry for themselves.

[Ogre Mage]

Obama is triangulating, just as Clinton did.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Personally as an Athiest, I oppose any mixture of church and state. I do believe that unfortunately it will be a long time before my religious beliefs are respected by a majority of the population.

However Rick Warren is actually much more progressive than many of the previous speakers selected to offer the inauguration prayer. I fully understand some of the pain members of the LGBT community must be feeling as a result of Warren's unfortunate statements defending traditional marriage by stating that gay marraiges were almost an equivalent of incent and child abuse. Warren definitely mispoke, and unlike almost all leaders of the evangelical community in the past 20 years does have gay friends and acquaintances and does not "damn people to hell" like many of the fundamentalist preachers of old.

Obama is as fully committed to the cause of gay rights as Clinton, and hopefully this is some strategic posturing that will allow segments of the evangelical community to not challenge a repeal of don't ask don't tell, and maybe make civil unions a nationally protected right. I have no opposition to gay marriages whatsoever, but it will take a generation before we are able to consistenly make gains at the polls against anti- gay marriage ballot iniatives.

I feel the same way my friend.  I wouldn't call myself an atheist as I don't know if god exists or not (and frankly even if s/he existed, I wouldn't worship him/her), but I am often disappointed with the role the church has in how this country is governed. 

[Marokai Backbeat]

How can anyone here actually believe the BS that he's some sort of 'moderate.'

[Matt Damon™]

Anyone who ever seriously expected a black politician to be progressive on matters like gay rights is dreaming.

[panda_priest]

Obama doesn't support gay marriage.

[Matt Damon™]

Pretty much. Democrats need to force anti-gay rights blacks out of their party. Us dems would be able to win many more marginal/GOP-lean suburban or southern seats if we weren't seen as the party of the black man.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

It's a freaking invocation.  I don't think it's a big deal who he picks.

[exopolitician]

The Gay/Lesbian Marching Band in the Inaugural Parade > Rick Warren.

[Marokai Backbeat]

It's a freaking invocation.  I don't think it's a big deal who he picks.

It's the symbolism. It's someone who represents more of the same old thing that we've seen for years, as opposed to something different that America voted for. It's insulting to gay & lesbians, it's yet another unnecessary and ridiculous "compromise", and it's just plain stupid.

[Ronnie]

It's not like Rick Warren is protesting gay marriage during the invocation.

[panda_priest]

It's a freaking invocation.  I don't think it's a big deal who he picks.

It's the symbolism. It's someone who represents more of the same old thing that we've seen for years, as opposed to something different that America voted for. It's insulting to gay & lesbians, it's yet another unnecessary and ridiculous "compromise", and it's just plain stupid.

Why are gays angry about Rick Warren when OBAMA DOESN'T SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE?

[Brittain33]

Why are gays angry about Rick Warren when OBAMA DOESN'T SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE?

Because it's not a binary "support/oppose gay marriage" issue. Rick Warren campaigned for Prop 8 and spread misinformation about it, saying it was a free speech issue which would protect his right to say homosexuality wasn't ideal. He also compares homosexuality to incest, divorce, and other unpleasantries that we don't appreciate being lumped in with.

Barack Obama opposes gay marriage, but does so respectfully. Most gays recognize that's where the mainstream is for federal office these days, and he opposed Prop 8 quietly even though his views would have indicated he should have supported it. I suppose he could have opposed Prop 8 more vocally, and many gays believe he should have, but it's clear there were political benefits to his staying above the fray. Rick Warren, meanwhile, dove straight into the fray and used his star power against us.

[Flying Dog]

Sorry, I'm not a puppet of the "Gay Rights Movement". I refuse to feign outrage about this useless issue.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Sorry, I'm not a puppet of the "Gay Rights Movement". I refuse to feign outrage about this useless issue.

How cute.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Anyone who ever seriously expected a black politician to be progressive on matters like gay rights is dreaming.

White democratic presidential candidates had similar views to Obama on this issue (with the exception of Kucinich).  Nice try turning this into a race issue.

[Bacon King]

Sorry, I'm not a puppet of the "Gay Rights Movement". I refuse to feign outrage about this useless issue.

How cute.

(he is a gay who is pro gay marriage)

[exopolitician]

Sorry, I'm not a puppet of the "Gay Rights Movement". I refuse to feign outrage about this useless issue.

Don't mention anything if you think its so useless then.

[Brittain33]

Sorry, I'm not a puppet of the "Gay Rights Movement". I refuse to feign outrage about this useless issue.

Do you think anyone really expects you to, though? One lesson we learned from the Prop 8 campaign is that there is no effective or organized gay rights movement now, and it doesn't issue marching orders. Some people are upset, some aren't, some are in between.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Sorry, I'm not a puppet of the "Gay Rights Movement". I refuse to feign outrage about this useless issue.

How cute.

(he is a gay who is pro gay marriage)

What irritated me was someone who is gay putting the words Gay Rights Movement in quotation marks, as if it's a joke, its useless, or something along those lines. It's insulting and just self-contradictory. I have no respect for gay people who have no willingness to fight for what is rightfully ours.

[Holmes]

Has this Rick Warren pick make you donate to an equality group, or protest, or do any other form of fighting, or have you just been complaining on this message board?

[Marokai Backbeat]

Has this Rick Warren pick make you donate to an equality group, or protest, or do any other form of fighting, or have you just been complaining on this message board?

Do you actually care?