Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Gay bishop to kick off Inauguration events
01.12.2009 9:48am EST
(Washington) Gene Robinson, the Episcopal church’s first gay bishop, will deliver the invocation at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, January 18 – the formal kickoff leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Obama.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the service, including the President-elect.“It will be an enormous honor to offer prayers for the country and the new president, standing on the holy ground where the ‘I have a dream speech’ was delivered by Dr. King, surrounded by the inspiring and reconciling words of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address,” Robinson wrote in a weekend e-mail to supporters.
“I am humbled and overjoyed at this invitation, and it will be my great honor to be there representing the Episcopal Church, the people of New Hampshire, and all of us in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community,” he said in the e-mail.
The announcement by the inaugural committee was one of two involving liberal religious leaders tapped by the committee. The Rev. Sharon Watkins, leader of the small Protestant denomination The Disciples of Christ, has been chosen to deliver the sermon at the National Prayer Service.
The election of Robinson as bishop in 2003 led to deep divisions within the worldwide Anglican Church and resulted in a number of parishes leaving the Episcopal umbrella while remaining Anglican.
Robinson has been a strong supporter of Obama and was vocal about his anger over the naming of Rev Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration on January 20 at the Capitol.
Warren, the pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California, ignited the ire of many liberals when he publicly supported California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state Constitution to ban gay marriage.
“The president-elect has respect for the Rt. Rev. Robinson, who offered his advice and counsel over the past couple of years,” an inaugural official told The Politico Web site. “It also has the benefit of further reinforcing our commitment to an open and inclusive inaugural.”
The official also said that the selections of Robinson and Watkins were made before the furor over Warren erupted.
Watkins is the first woman leader of The Disciples of Christ and the first woman to give the sermon at the traditional event, to be held Jan. 21 at the National Cathedral.
The service will include prayers, readings and hymns delivered by religious leaders of a variety of faiths.
The Disciples of Christ has about 850,000 members in the United States and Canada.
It says its work is “influenced by its founding ideals of our unity in Christ with openness and diversity in practice and belief.”
Most of the denomination’s churches are LGBT welcoming, although some, particularly in the South, are not. As congregationalists, each church is free to set its own policies.
Because of the divisions over sexuality, the Disciples of Christ has not taken a position on same-sex marriage. Watkins in an interview with The New York Times said she also has not made up her mind on the issue.
President-elect Obama has said he is not in favor of gay marriage but supports civil unions for same-sex couples and the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
In 1997 at its annual convention, the Disciples of Christ urged the enactment of “legislation on local, state and national levels which will end the denial of civil rights and the violation of civil liberties for reasons of sexual orientation.”
The resolution specifically recognized that “the church, among other elements of society, has contributed to the persecution and suffering of homosexuals, and it is its culpability in this regard which provides one reason for seeking a more enlightened understanding.”
Obama puts a gay religious guy in where it doesn’t really matter AND still kept the anti-gay marriage speakers – that’s something to be excited about?
Geeze, no wonder gay rights have been such a struggle!
It’s like people are getting played here and are happy about it..
Well, I just love what Obama did with having Gene Robinson at the inauguration. More or less in the back of the bus. Then having Rick Warren at the front.
Very disappointed, if it would have been me I would have things switched around with who speaks where, and when.
Robinson is an excellent choice to lead the very first invocation of the inaugural kick-off. He and several other pro-gay ministers will contribute to the inclusivity of the event. I have to say, though, that famous hate-preacher Rick Warren tends to overshadow them.
What’s matters more to me is Obama’s intent to pass employment nondiscrimination and hate crimes legislation: http://change.gov/agenda/civil_rights_agenda. When we no longer have to fear being fired, we’ll be in a better position to speak up and support our own rights and well-being.
We can’t just assume it will happen, though. Let’s make sure Obama knows how important our rights are to us and our supporters – and keep fighting for equality however we can. Let’s encourage our friends and supporters to stock up on Pepsi, too, since the AFA is boycotting Pepsico.
Given that the Bishop has been the yule log in a forest fire within the Episcopal Church I think it is a great idea. He is accused of dividing the Anglicans and from where I sit by selecting him our new President has taken up for the side that includes rather than excludes.
Everything starts somewhere and he will actually be on first and there will be little to cover that day. He will get much more news coverage because nothing else will be going on.
Just by the fact that it is happening and is being made controversial will get it more coverage. Having heard the Bishop speak I am confident that many people will hear the message, recognize the messenger for what and who he is and perhaps see that one of the larger denominations in the country has had a purposeful change of policy and heart and perhaps others will follow. Perhaps.
I would rather be thown a bone and pandered to then left out of the party.
I know many of our brothers and sisters will be on hand to turn their backs when Warren speaks or throw donuts at him. That will reinforce how tired we are of our treatment and will keep the politicos on their toes.
Either way, progress, not perfection. There will always be tokens and tokens just represent those of us who are underepresented. Being seen by millions of people cannot hurt.
Maybe you were all expecting RuPaul or something?
Those of you who go back a few years understand how big this is. Nothing like this was ever even considered before. The fact that our grumbles caused something to happen just proves how much we all need to speak up, write letters, and contribute to those who support us. If they don’t, write a letter and let them know that you didn’t vote for them specifically because of their bigotry.
Yeah, somebody pulled this out of their as* at the last minute but it works just fine for me. Make them eat their words Gene.
Sorry, I meant Warren. I have to use a voice to text converter. It is not perfect and still requires corrections. I cut and paste the wrong name by mistake but most people got what I meant due to the invocation reference. Besides, didn’t Robinson actually come out against Marriage Equality? The Obama still seems to choose people with feet of clay.
By the way, the clue phone reference was uncalled for – let us see how well you write when you loose your hands.
NEWSFLASH — Just in… it seems that Roy and Silo, the two Gay chinstrap penguins from the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan are to be reunited and flown to the South Pole after officials on the Obama transition team gave them permission to hold a pre-inaugural ceremony and prayer for Obama in Antarctica.
These Gay love birds have been carefully chosen to be joint Masters of Ceremony at this glorious celebration commemorating our new Fuhrer. And like Bishop Robinson‘s egg-hunt at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, this event will also be held several days before the “real” inauguration, and far enough away, so as not to generate too much press attention and stress for the incoming Obama administration.
The theme of this occasion, as well as the Ball following it (which was generously arranged by the HRC at the South Pole) will be titled: “Out of Sight; Out of Mind In Our New Obama Nation”.
Rainbow-colored leg-warmers and sequined purple parkas are being furnished, free of charge, by Uncle Tom’s Fashion Wear; while the US Military has volunteered to fly in and to air-drop guests at the event (parachutes, of course, are optional).
Entertainment will be provided by Ellen DeGeneres doing her famous “Step ‘em, Fetch it” dance routine to be taped and telecasted later for her post-menopausal hetero plantation mamas; while music will be furnished by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir which will be handing out magic underwear and free “sexual re-orientation” tickets to heaven after the event.
Finally, refreshments will consist of good old fashion Jim Jones Kool-Aid — complements of both the Democratic and Republican Members of the House and the Senate.
A great time is expected to be had by all.
(End of Update)
…Signing off…
… your reporter for The Rainfish Chronicles
…on Jan 2009
~ Bud Evans
http://rainfish2000.blogspot.com
So what? It doesn’t matter. We as a group do not care. Oh, we bitch and kevetch. We blog and write. We moan and piss. Yet what have we done?
Nothing. We don’t protest in their faces. We don’t organize. Or leaders, if we have really have any, are doing nothing.
This is a win win for Obama. And we let this happen. So, suck it up. If you want it to change, we have to get together. And so far, we have invited this.
Consolation prize.
Thought this might be of some interest.
In today’s Boston Globe, Jan. 13, 09. it states that the Rev. Gene Robinson was asked to speak at the (pre inaugural) ceremonies, two and a half weeks ago by the Obama team.
So much for the he was asked way ahead of time bull.
As I said before, get ready for more manure!
It’s good to see that even before Obama has officially become president, that diversity is already being welcome.
After all, LGBT rights are the Civil Rights struggle for generation Y. What do you think? Check out this story on DiversityInc magazine. http://www.diversityinc.com/public/5079.cfm
Invocations are *symbols*, people. Let’s not get (keep?) our panties in a bunch.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Look toward the legislation, and work to help make it happen. ENDA, hate crimes legislation, repeal of DOMA….
Yes, Gerry, invocations are symbols. So is the swastika. So is the bald eagle. There are thousands of them. But symbols represent something. And the symbols that our government chooses to include become important.
Since religion doesn’t want the government to meddle in the practice of religion (I certainly don’t blame them for that), our government ought also dissuade religion from meddling in its practices. And excluding their symbols from government would be a good place to start. And the inauguration would be a good time.
Since apparently we MUST have incantations and murmurs of the superstitious and the religious on January 20th, here are some suggestions for prayers:
“Freedom requires religion like a slug requires salt.” -Pat Condell, British comedian
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;”-1st Amendment of The United States Constitution
“As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries. ” -Treaty of Tripoli ratified by the Senate and signed into law by President James Madison on June 10, 1797
“During many ages there were witches. The Bible said so. The Bible commanded that they should not be allowed to live. Therefore the Church, after eight hundred years, gathered up its halters, thumb-screws, and firebrands, and set about its holy work in earnest. She worked hard at it night and day during nine centuries and imprisoned, tortured, hanged, and burned whole hordes and armies of witches, and washed the Christian world clean with their foul blood.
Then it was discovered that there was no such thing as witches, and never had been. One does not know whether to laugh or to cry…..There are no witches. The witch text remains; only the practice has changed. Hell fire is gone, but the text remains. Infant damnation is gone, but the text remains. More than two hundred death penalties are gone from the law books, but the texts that authorized them remain.”-Mark Twain “Bible Teaching and Religious Practice,” Europe and Elsewhere
“Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one-half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth.” – Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 1781-82
“I can truly say that all the cares and anxieties, the trials and disappointments of my whole life, are light, when balanced with my sufferings in childhood and youth from the theological dogmas which I sincerely believed, and the gloom connected with everything associated with the name of religion.”- Elizabeth Stanton, first organizer of women’s rights and women’s suffrage movements in the United States.
Brandy,
I am very thankful that I left atheism behind. I found it to be a empty and lacking. A void that things that rot, rust and corrode and people who die and who hurt, dissapoint and reject you can’t fill.
I am much happier in my gay-welcoming church than before I went there.
So, I prefer the “foolishness” of God to the “wisdom” of other humans. I see all your references below and all I can say is we agree to disagree. Good luck and good day.
Time to let HBO know that the gay community does not appreciate being censored. Funny that they were able to fit everything in but Bishop Robinson.