One of the many reasons I voted for Obama is because he's not a homophobe....

[Sarah Ibarruri]

And although I'm straight, I felt that that was vitally important because it involves basic civil rights.

For Obama to choose a homophobe to pray at his inauguration, is rather shocking. Why on earth do that????

[Critters2]

1. He doesn't have a good record on glbt issues. I don't know why people didn't know this. nt

[Thrill]

12. Explain his bad record?

[zulchzulu]

22. He/she can't. Obama's record on LGBT rights/issues is very good

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

[LostinVA]

2. Thanks for the laugh

:rofl:

[Mojambo]

3. I still don't think he's a homophobe, but he certainly doesn't mind associating with them.

I personally think it's pretty unfortunate, but that's the country we live in.

Rick Warren is mainstream. Makes me sad as hell, but to a majority of Americans his views are mainstream.

[LostinVA]

4. I don't agree that most Americans agree with Warren's views

ESPECIALLY his views on women's roles within society and their families.

[daninthemoon]

7. that's how the fundies grabbed onto the repug party. jimmy carter

was their darling because he was a genuine man of faith. then he supported the equal rights amendment for women, and the fundies, led at the time by now kajillionare tim lahaye, lost their damn minds and turned their full support to raygun and all the rethugs that followed. i am very unhappy at warren being chosen for the inauguration. i think he and Obama are friends for some reason, maybe becuase of warren's self empowerment books, but this is too much.

[qwlauren35]

17. Um... I think it might be a majority. Or a significant minority.

Keep in mind that feminist is currently a bad word, and even Christian moderates are asserting themselves more and more.

The man=head-of-household belief IS held by many Americans, even if they don't take it to a Biblical extreme.

[LostinVA]

34. No, not even close to a majority

Most people are not that extreme on abortion, GLBT issues, or women's issues.

[gravity]

5. Obama isn't a homophobe-phobe either

[Solon]

9. I don't fear homophobes, I hate them instead...

There is a difference.

[gravity]

11. Obama isn't a hateful person

[Solon]

13. He's not a brave one either then, you fight bigotry, you don't coddle it. n/t

[Fearless]

26. You coddle the bigot to fight the bigotry...

You must make the other side (our side) seem appealing to the bigot otherwise you will attract no one's bigotry to its siren's song.

[Fearless]

18. Hate is at the core of their arguments as well.

I guess we're not better than that after all.

[Solon]

20. Screw that bullshit, I'm intolerant of bigotry...

and there's no contradiction there, period, end of story. Don't give me that line of bullshit about us "lowering ourselves" to their level.

[Fearless]

25. Much hate I sense in you.

I look upon history as my guide for the future. I see figures who preach peace and understanding. And I see figures who preach hate and vengeance. Personally, I rather like the peace and understanding people over the hate and vengeance people. You're entitled to your opinion and your gut reaction but I ask you to find one instance historically where hate and vengeance ever led to something good.

NTF

[qwlauren35]

28. Playing Devil's Advocate

I can think of examples. But I think they are stomach turning. The Nazi experiments on twins which were based on hate/disregard for human life, led to some medical advances. So did the syphillus experiments on black men in the South.

The heinousness of a crime often results in the opening of eyes, and positive change. Like apartheid. It was the extremity of the situation that resulted in change.

The marches in the South would not have resulted in "positive change" if not for the televising of the REACTION, i.e. the violence that was turned on innocent people, i.e., the dogs and water hoses, and the murders. So, good came from bad.

I'm not sure what to say about the French Revolution. But that was pure hatred and disgust. The American Revolution wasn't nearly as bad, but it was driven by a hatred for taxation and colonialism.

However, for the record, I agree with you. Just because I can cite a few cases doesn't mean that I love riots and revolutions, or any disregard for the sanctity of human life.

[Fearless]

32. Yet... again to play devil's advocate...

Antisemitism is alive and well. The syphilis experiments were so earthshaking that 95% of people can't even name what it's called. Further the French Revolution... how about the English Revolution? And besides the French Reign of Terror was more about Maximilian Robespierre trying to grab power than freedom or fraternity. It stemmed from the revolution and skewed its purpose.


Likewise, other atrocities are going unnoticed... The Khmer Rouge, Darfur, Rwanda, Tibet, US torture of detainees, the drug trade in South America, instability in the Congo, Katrina, Ike, Blackwater, I could go on... After a while no one cares.

Regardless, on the other hand we have Mohandas Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr, Henry David Thoreau, Nelson Mandela, and countless others who preached unity, peace, and non-violence and I believe the argument can be made that they were at least equally as successful at affecting change.

[Fearless]

35. And, not to beat a dead horse... consider the source...

I remember a quote from a right wing commentator from recently... "May I state my position rather than you stating it? May I do that? My position is that it’s regrettable that any Americans died. It is regrettable that they had to die, but I believe they did have to die." -Frank Gaffney.

[yardwork]

21. Does Obama take a stand on anything, in your view, or do you think he'll tolerate anything?

In your opinion is there anyone that Obama would draw the line at elevating? Anyone who's behavior is beyond the pale - or is everyone equally deserving of praise from Obama?

[Fearless]

33. When you appear to take a stand you alienate people...

The best thing any politician can do is appear to take no stand and then affect change.

[qwlauren35]

36. The Christian view is that everyone is redeemable.

It's not a question of taking a stand on any THING. But whether he will turn his back on any ONE. We've seen him distance himself from people's points of view, when it was required of him. But as president, he has promised to listen to EVERYONE... even including leaders of countries we don't diplomatically acknowledge. He has said he will not look at red states and blue states, but the United States. Left, right and center.

I think he's keeping that promise, and it's pissing EVERYONE OFF!

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. DUZY!

[marshall]

8. What has he said to indicate a desire to fight homophobia?

He made a specific point of speaking out against marriage equality.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. So you're saying Obama is a homophobe? nt

[marshall]

16. No, but he dosn't seem ready to fight against it

There were thousands of reasons to vote for Obama, but expecting him to fight for gay rights and marriage equality weren't on the top of my list. The best I was hopoing for is not to lose much ground.

[Fearless]

23. Take a good look around

And tell me where all these Americans are that are willing to fight for GLBTQ rights. Really. I'd love to meet them ALL. We are still a minority, a vast minority in many places. Need I remind you all of this...




We cannot get ahead of ourselves. We cannot appear to be fringe. We have to build inroads into these places. That means putting up with "undesirable" people. That's the funny things about "change". We have to play a part as well. That part is not cold and distant. It is not high and mighty. It is inviting. It is letting them make up their own minds that we're okay and not trying to force them to believe that the GLBTQ community deserves equality. You might not like it, but the greater the divide we put between them and us, the greater the divide between the majority and our equal rights will be.

NTF

:kick:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

37. I never expected him to pick the same type of Bible-banging homophobe a Bush would've...

Obama did not run on the same sick principles as Bush. Congress knows this.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. He's not a homophobe, he's a politician

I would say with about 99% certainty that Obama is personally pro gay marriage just like nearly every other liberal who isn't in elected office. However those liberals who are in elected office are in the business of vote getting and some of those votes that they want to get come from homophobes.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

15. He needs to stop picking people who are actually anti-gay if he's not anti-gay nt

[zulchzulu]

19. What about Reverend Lowery (Pro gay rights) doing the benediction at the end?

Consider it ALL.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. Obama is not a homophobe; however, for some reason he feels that he must kiss the

right wing's ass and lick the balls of the DLC and Blue Dog Democrats. I understand that bringing people together is important, but I cannot name one liberal--NOT ONE--who will be in a prestigious position in Obama's cabinet or policy team. Not one!

[TK421]

27. My balls itch...I don't know what else to say to this n/t

[Number23]

29. Good God...

:rofl: :rofl:

This OP and all of the Warren panic and hysteria is not only an embarrassment to DU, but to the whole d@mned Internet!!!

DARPA must be alerted...

[uponit7771]

30. LOFL!!

[uponit7771]

31. Obama's record on gay rights gives him some room but not THIS much room, I'm wondering too