President-Elect Obama, You’ve Disappointed Me (Update 2: More Action)
By Saintless. Filed in Barack Obama, LGBTQ |
Rick Warren is a horrible choice to give the invocation at the Innauguation. He’s a homophobe, he is against women’s rights, and even stem cell research. This decision feels like a slap in the face to LGBTQ people across America. And Barack just made this much worse:
The worst part here was the “disagree without being disagreeable” sentence. Everything about Rick Warren is disagreeable. He is hostile toward GLBTQ Americans. He doesn’t just disagree with us. He compares homosexuality to pedophelia!
I’ve known all along that I wasn’t always going to agree with Obama on everything, and I’ve already disagreed with a few things. But, this one really hurts in a personal way. And it was so unnecessary.
Update: I forgot to include this link. I went to Change.gov yesterday to give my opinion on Rick Warren, and I’m about to go do it again! You should too!
Update 2: Here are some more things you can do:
Sign the petition: Obama: Stand Up for Gay Americans, Say No to Rick Warren
And from the Facebook group Protest Rick Warren giving Barack Obama’s Inaugural Invocation:
1. CALL 202-540-3000 , press “2,” speak with a live person
2. SEND a letter letting the transition team know what you think here http://change.gov/page/content/contact, and
3. EMAIL Parag Mehta, Obama’s LGBT liaison on the transition team at parag.mehta@ptt.gov.
4. Contact members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies as well.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe
Sen. Harry Reid
http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Sen. Bob Bennett
http://bennett.senate.gov/contact/email_form.cfm
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
Rep. Steny Hoyer
http://hoyer.house.gov/contact/email.asp
Rep. John Boehner
http://johnboehner.house.gov/Contact/
Thursday, December 18th 2008 at 3:04 pm |
This is a prime example of the turner-around thinking of “Straight-America.” The inauguration is a time when Obama will give the country a sampling of what his administration will be like. In that light, it’s absolutely vital that he puts forward a unified front that match up with his own beliefs, as well as his administrations beliefs. The pick of Rev Warren truly was a slap in the face, as it shows that Obama thinks that his point of view is ok too. It’s not, and having an open dialogue with the country is enormously different than giving a bigot a national pulpit, at an event which promises to be one of the most watched of all time.
Friday, December 19th 2008 at 10:45 am |
His choice reflects his religion. that is all. He is a christian and like it or not the majority of christian preachers agree with warren. All of you stood up for Obama when they were attacking him for his association with Jeremiah Wright. Why attack him now for being associated with another person who doesn’t believe as he does. it is hypocritical at best. I understand that you would like to see someone much more open in their beliefs but if we took it to that extreme he could have chosen some hippy/new age/lesbian/neopagan priestess that would pray to Baphomet for his blessing on our new president. Now that would be even worse in the current political climate. Even though my beliefs a pagan in nature I would not expect him to choose someone that believes as I do.
While I agree with your ideal of a world where all are treated with equality and people can live and love with whomever and however they with be it man and woman or man and man or woman and woman in monogamous and/or plural relationships. I say let the man have his priest as we know he is still the man we chose to lead us toward that ideal.
Friday, December 19th 2008 at 10:57 am |
I don’t think it’s hypocritical in the least for me to stand up for what I believe in. I do think it would be very hypocritical of me to not say when I disagree with Obama. I’m not saying that I don’t support him, or that I’m against him. I just think this was a bad choice, and the more we make it known when we disagree with him, the better our future will be. As I said above, I’ve always known I would disagree with Obama on some things.
It wouldn’t have taken a “hippy/new age/lesbian/neopagan priestess” to find a religious leader who is more open in their beliefs. There are PLENTY of Christian leaders out there who don’t compare being gay to being a pedophile. I take *serious* objection to that comparison.
If I sit back, and don’t speak up when I disagree with Obama, because I chose him to lead us, I would be the type of person I despise.
Sunday, December 21st 2008 at 7:18 pm |
Great response. Very valid issues. ANd we live in a country where it is our right and responsibility to watch our leaders and question their actions; oh and hold them ACCOUNTABLE for the promises they made.
And I am with you. I know of plenty of Christian leaders who espouse love, kindness, and CHrist-like acceptance of others. Of course there are many AMericans who are right now scratching their heads with a look of disbelief on their faces . . .
I am a hippy/yogi/straight/mom/buddhist christian who aks why is ANYONE still in this day and age espousing these hateful words? But ALL my beliefs tell me that in order to erase hatred in the world we must erase it — all of it — in ourselves.
That’s CHristian, Buddhist, Yogic, and Neo Pagan! AND its also just common sense.
Sunday, December 21st 2008 at 7:18 pm |
And one more thing — I think I am totally pagan too. Can I be pagan and Christian? :)