Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Obama and Revs. Warren and Lowery
How I envy the political skills of President-elect Barack Obama. If I had kids I would offer their souls to Satan or Sean Hannity (same difference), but no rug-rats for me so I would give up cherry pie to be Obama. Yesterday Obama causes a wee firestorm with the announcement that Rev. Rick Warren is going to give his inauguration’s invocation. Today at a press conference when asked about it Obama describes himself as “a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans.”
Latter on in the day, his inaugural spokesperson Linda Davis notes to 365 what a few have pointed to. The benediction of the inauguration will be given by Rev. Joseph E. Lowery.
“[Lowery is] an outspoken supporter of gay rights,” Douglass said.
For those not familiar with Lowery he is considered the religious dean of the Civil Rights movement. More recently he is the man who proudly, and with no shame, gave President George Bush the business at Coretta Scott King’s funeral.
As for his stance on gay rights, the old lion supports gay marriage.
None of this excuses the choice of Warren but it’s hard to accuse Obama of pandering to the right when he picks a firebrand many a conservative loathe.
UPDATE (12/30/08): Sorry it has taken so long to get this post straight. Reverend Lowery does not support same marriage; he favors civil unions.
I am gay. And I am convinced that gays, as a group, are imbeciles. My reasons:
1) A campaign against Prop 8 that refused to show any gays or do any outreach to those who may oppose us. Easier to blame the blacks and the churche than do the hard work required to claim our civil rights.
2) Trashing Obama (as in many of the posts here). Like him or not, pissed about Warren or not, he is the great hope of the Gay Community for our civil rights. He is the make-or-break voice on legislation like ENDA, The Matthew Shepard Act and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. He will appoint the Supreme Court justices who will, ultimately, rule on our rights.
So what do we do? Alienate the hell out of him. Call him names. Great way to encourage his enthusiastic support. Great way to achieve our goals.
As I said. We are idiots. Political idiots of the worst order. No wonder we suffer so many setbacks. We have turned a golden opportunity to education and recruit into a global hissy-fit. How gay! How stereotypical! How special-interest! How right-wing!
We are our own worst enemy.
A. A. Katz
“None of this excuses the choice of Warren but it’s hard to accuse Obama of pandering to the right when he picks a firebrand many a conservative loathe.”
Um, no it’s not. Obama is simply a coward. What we got was a more effete version of Hillary Clinton.
Plain and simple.
I don’t agree with Obama’s choice of Pastor Warren, but he is also appointing Lowery to speak as well.
Don’t forget Obama may have said what he did about marriage, but he also said he believed in domestic partnership allowing us gays the same benifits as married couples. If he writes laws reflecting these views as well as other gay rights bills. I say let the zealouts keep the word marriage as long as I and others like me can be recognized with our same sex partners as if we were married then they can keep the word.
I believe that Obama is sincere when he states he is going to finally write initiatives for gay rights.
It throw Bishop Robinson out there not only because this Bear is Episcopalian, but because he truly does speak of inclusion for all. Isn’t that what Obama has campaigned on?
Excellent idea Trace, after all, the Episcopal Church is larger and more representative than Warren’s Saddle thing.
Wouldn’t it have been an amazing thing to have Lowery there and have the invocation given by Bishop Gene Robinson.
Lowery doen’t temper Obama’s choice of Warren. Homophobic Warren will come out of this with new popularity and new followers. I won’t enjoy this event.
Rick Warren is a wealthy charlatan who has used his influence to do serious damage our community. Now we must fight back with any means that we have. Obamas of this world must realize that inviting a rick warren to inauguration is akin to inviting say a prominent racist.
I volunteered for Barrack Obama, I voted for him and donated to him. Why? He was against me openly “marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman”. I was a fool and at my age I should have known better. I’ve seen his type before and should have recognized him for what he is. I apologize to my LGBT brothers and sisters and especially to my spouse. This man is no friend of LGBT.
I want to see August Kreis III representing his religion and ideology and as another “Perceived Minister to the Nation” in Obama’s inauguration event then it will be truly about balancing competing views.
Mr. Withers your absurd rationalization of Obama’s invitation of Warren would in theory allow someone to invite a segregationist so long as a Civil Rights leader also was included. Warren is a bigot and it says a lot about Obama that he wants anything to do with such a person.
The question about the Invocation/Benediction isn’t about balancing competing views. Rick Warren isn’t just some evangelical right wingnut who is anti-gay, he is someone who took pains to be especially vile about it at the same time claiming to be a friend of gays. He is the worst kind of hypocrite; a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There is no balancing for this choice; it is an insult to the GLBT Community, plain and simple.
THis is not Mr. Obama inviting Warren to a discussion or to a forum or to a chat in the White House. Obama has invited Warren to take the role of “Perceived Minister to the Nation” even though he worked to remove civil rights from our families. At first I was just shocked and dismayed about this invitation to Warren, but as the clock ticks I am getting more and more angry about it.
This is not something that can be balanced-out. This is a simple matter of Good vs. Evil and balance is not the goal here.
Yeah Gregory! Just like the Black Churches in California!!!
errrr, scratch that.
Dont let your love for Obama blind you to the love you should have for yourself. If you in anyway acknowledge those that would deny you your basic human rights, then you have forgotten our very recent American history. Obama is an American but has no Black american memories. I mean to say that he is not the decendant of a American Slave. He doesnt have the papable, familial history on which to base his decision. Had he these familial memories maybe he would understand denying an the LBGT community its rights.
Not the same Mr. Withers. People may disagree with Reverend Lowery but he has never advocated anything but equality for all. Now mind you, I do appreciate much of what Pastor Warren has to say in his ministry, but he is simply not for equality of all men and women.
But then, Obama is not either.