Human Rights Campaign letter to Obama on choice of Warren.

[ProSense]

Letter to Pres-Elect Obama on Choice of Rev. Rick Warren to Deliver Invocation at 56th Presidential Inauguration

12/17/2008

WASHINGTON – Today the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, sent the following letter to President-elect Obama on the selection of anti-gay reverend, Rick Warren, to deliver the invocation at the 56th Presidential Inauguration set to take place on the West Front of the United States Capitol on January 20th.

The letter is as follows:

Dear President-elect Obama -

Let me get right to the point. Your invitation to Reverend Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at your inauguration is a genuine blow to LGBT Americans. Our loss in California over the passage of Proposition 8 which stripped loving, committed same-sex couples of their given legal right to marry is the greatest loss our community has faced in 40 years. And by inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table.

Rick Warren has not sat on the sidelines in the fight for basic equality and fairness. In fact, Rev. Warren spoke out vocally in support of Prop 8 in California saying, “there is no need to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2 percent of our population ... This is not a political issue -- it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about." Furthermore, he continues to misrepresent marriage equality as silencing his religious views. This was a lie during the battle over Proposition 8, and it's a lie today.

Rev. Warren cannot name a single theological issue that he and vehemently, anti-gay theologian James Dobson disagree on. Rev. Warren is not a moderate pastor who is trying to bring all sides together. Instead, Rev. Warren has often played the role of general in the cultural war waged against LGBT Americans, many of whom also share a strong tradition of religion and faith.

We have been moved by your calls to religious leaders to own up to the homophobia and racism that has stood in the way of combating HIV and AIDS in this country. And that you have publicly called on religious leaders to open their hearts to their LGBT family members, neighbors and friends.

But in this case, we feel a deep level of disrespect when one of architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination. Only when Rev. Warren and others support basic legislative protections for LGBT Americans can we believe their claim that they are not four-square against our rights and dignity. In that light, we urge you to reconsider this announcement.

Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese
President
Human Rights Campaign

[Danger Mouse]

1. I hope Obama listens. I hope he doesn't ignore the voices.

I want to believe that he is better than that.

[Shiver]

8. I'm certain he's better than that.

Kicked and rec'd. I've sent in my complaint as well...

[Cha]

2. Rec'd! This is the first real

test before he's even Prez.

[Starry Messenger]

3. Thank you for posting this.

You are awesome Prosense.

[PBS Poll-435]

4. K&R

[cboy4]

5. This is why despite all its faults which I clearly recognize .. I

do not give up on this organization.

Excellent.

[Selatius]

6. Obama was not wise to invite Warren to the invocation. All he did was lose himself supporters.

Now there will be one more issue on top of everything else that Obama must now try to correct. Is he trying to make it harder for himself?

[Sex Pistol]

13. Obama is a shrewd and crafty politician. He probably figures that he has more to gain

than he has to lose.

[EFerrari]

21. But, wouldn't that be the old politics?

[Selatius]

23. Yes, it is. nt

[Sex Pistol]

24. Did you expect something else?

Obama's handlers are probably beginning to position him for 2012. After all, that is their job.

The important thing is to get some REAL things done between now and the mid-terms.

[EFerrari]

26. No, I didn't expect anything else at all.

And this gesture made on our national stage during this event is real. If it wasn't, they wouldn't bother with it.

[AtomicKitten]

7. K&R

[ErinBerin84]

9. k & r .

[Sex Pistol]

10. You know what? The HRC should be happy as hell that bushboy's days are numbered...

but no...they have to over-react to something as benign as a benediction.

This is Obama's day and this is HIS choice.

We will all be (or have been) disappointed with some of the things Obama does. But no one should be disappointed on January 20, 2009.

[ProSense]

12. "they have to over-react to something as benign as a benediction."

How friggin narrow-minded and insulting. Just because Bush is an evil bastard doesn't absolve everyone else from criticism.

[Sex Pistol]

14. No, not "narrow-minded"...It's better defined by the term "big-pictured."

:hi:

[ProSense]

15. Insulting people has nothing to do with the big picture.

HRC endorsed Obama and have been very supportive to date.

[Sex Pistol]

17. I do not think Obama is attempting to insult anyone. Do you?

He may have misjudged the reaction to this decision and who knows, maybe he will change his mind.

But I think that would make him appear to be easily manipulated and cause him more harm than the Warren thing ever could.

By early January 21st, this matter will be dead...unless some mis-guided folks keep it alive. :crazy:

[ProSense]

20. "He may have misjudged the reaction to this decision and who knows, maybe he will change his mind."

Which is why people are expressing outrage. Let's hope he rethinks this.

[yardwork]

28. I am insulted by the choice of Rick Warren.

And I supported Obama a heckuva lot more than Rick Warren did during the campaign.

[Metric System]

33. I find myself rooting on ProSense. Someone pass the smelling salts.

[Raster]

16. Ah, another straight boy telling the fags to move to the back of the bus?

If so, thank you so fucking much. And no benediction is benign. They all come with high costs. This one, it appears, higher than most.

[cboy4]

18. Yes, that's exactly what it is.

:puke:

[Sex Pistol]

22. You have your own bus, so you don't need to ride in the back of mine.

This a political ceremony. Nothing more, noting less. Trust me, unless something disastrous happens, this will probably be the most benign day of Obama's presidency.

[yardwork]

29. We have our own bus? The gay bus? The separate and not even close to equal bus?

[Sex Pistol]

42. Well, at least you have a sense of humor.

But you don't have to worry about your bus being equal to mine.

You are doing just fine. And I suspect you know that you are being overly melodramatic. :)

[QC]

25. In all fairness, I think he is saying something more like

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

[Raster]

27. And in all fairness, FUCK NO!

[yardwork]

30. No, this straight boy says we have our own bus.

[progressoid]

11. K/R

[EFerrari]

19. It wouldn't hurt if writing DUers put out something in the next day or so

here or at other venues like OpEdNews or ConsortiumNews as they can.

[Renegade08]

31. So, anyone who supported prop 8 should be banned from being part of inauguration?

[Starry Messenger]

34. Yes.

Why not?

[Renegade08]

35. And pro-lifers, too?

You are setting up ideological litmus tests, just like the right does. I''m just sick of ideological purism, whether it comes from the left or the right.

[Starry Messenger]

38. Sure, why not?

My litmus test is human rights. The GOP doesn't test for that, so that line of argument doesn't go anywhere. Why do you hate humans?

[FrenchieCat]

32. It is an excellent letter...

[zulchzulu]

36. Human Rights Campaign gives Obama 89% out of 100% on LGBT issues

Is he "perfect" on all the issues? Probably not to some... but...

Barack Obama and Gay Rights in Illinois:
Barack Obama supported gay rights during his Illinois Senate tenure. He sponsored legislation in Illinois that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Barack Obama in the United States Senate:
Every two years the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national gay and lesbian organization, issues a scorecard for members of the Senate based on their sponsorship and voting on key issues of importance to gay and lesbian citizens. Barack Obama scored 89 out of 100% in the 2006 scorecard. Here's how HRC rated Obama:

Barack Obama on Hate Crimes:
Barack Obama co-sponsored legislation to expand federal hate crimes laws to include crimes perpetrated because of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Employment Non-Discrimination:
Barack Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and believes it should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Gays in the Military:
Barack Obama believes we need to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. His campaign literature says, "The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve."

Gay & Lesbian Adoption:
Barack Obama believes gays and lesbians should have the same rights to adopt children as heterosexuals.

Barack Obama and Gay Marriage/ Civil Unions:
Although Barack Obama has said that he supports civil unions, he is against gay marriage. In an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune, Obama said, "I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."

Barack Obama did vote against a Federal Marriage Amendment and opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.

He said he would support civil unions between gay and lesbian couples, as well as letting individual states determine if marriage between gay and lesbian couples should be legalized.

"Giving them a set of basic rights would allow them to experience their relationship and live their lives in a way that doesn't cause discrimination," Obama said. "I think it is the right balance to strike in this society."

Sources: Chicago Daily Tribune, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbianactivism/p/BarackObama.htm

[zulchzulu]

37. Will the Human Rights Campaign ALSO congratulate Obama for having Reverend Lowery to speak?

Look him up. I'm done trying to show Lowery's record as a pro gay-rights activist, who will be speaking the benediction.

Will the Human Rights Campaign congratulate Obama for his choice of Lowery? Um.... prolly not.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

39. it might also be worth noting that

the Lesbian and Gay Band Association will be marching in the parade(which is the first time such a group does that as far as i know)

But i guess thats not worth any attention when looking at the posts on this board sadly enough

[Raster]

40. Actually, it is worth mentioning. It is a wonderful gesture, and we are very glad for it!

And very proud of our Gay Band Association Brothers and Sisters.

[chascarrillo]

41. Well, then, that just makes everything okey-dokey, now, doesn't it?

Jesus Christ on a crutch.