obama, anti gay petition

[peterlondon]

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/2597795

im not american so forgive me for commenting on this, but i was disappointed to read anti gay preachers were participating in the inauguration, and the defence by obama of this homophobicchoice, if you would like to sign the petition the link is above...
Dear All,

I don't whether you have heard the news that President Elect Obama has chosen an anti-gay pastor to start the his inauguration ceremony in January. This is a blow as he claimed throughout his campaign to support lesbians and gay men. It is particularly upsetting as it comes at the same time as the religious right in the States are seeking to get the Supreme Court to overturn the thousands of lesbian and gay marriages that have taken place in California in recent months.

It would be good if you could take a couple of minutes to sign the attached petition asking him to change his mind.

Have a very happy Christmas and best wishes for 2009.

[sockguynyc]

As an American who voted for Obama I am extremely disappointed (and pissed off) but unfortunately not surpried.

[Head2Foot]

I'm an Obama supporter, I'm gay, and I'm definitely not an Evangelical Christian.

However, there is something that bothers me about this gay protest against Rick Warren. One of the reasons I voted for Obama was that I'm tired of the polarization in this society and the harm that it is doing to the country. Obama told us he would try to bridge and heal that gap. Now the gay community is acting just as intolerantly as the Christian right. If we protest against every bone that Obama throws to the religious groups, including inviting an Evangelical to give the invocation, we are just continuing to reinforce the polarization. Yes, speak out against religious groups' actions that infringe on our rights, but don't say that those groups or their representatives can't or shouldn't be allowed on the stage with us. "Trivial" protests such as this cannot possibly work in gay people's favor.

[ftlaudft]

Head2Foot, when you're right, you're right! I voted for Obama and I trust him. He wants to guarantee a place for everyone at the table and he's going to invite a lot of people I don't particularly like or agree with. But we're not in high school anymore. It's not "my" team against "their" team. It's not "us" against "them." Obama is trying to get all of us represented at the table together and he doesn't need my permission to invite whoever he wants in order to get the job done.

Am I happy about Rick Warren and his role in the fight to pass Proposition 8? Of course not. But I'm tired of listening to cranky gays sitting in their comfy closets, criticizing gay rights' parades and inventing lists of reasons for not supporting this group or that. If you're mad about Rick Warren, come out of the closet and open both your mouth and your pocket book!

And let Obama do his job.

[sockguynyc]

Obama should reach out to non-bigoted Christians (there are many of them).

But it's wrong having an intolerant bigot in such an important position in the inauguration.

[ftlaudft]

I have to admit, sockguy, that I would be happier if Obama had chosen someone else. But he didn't. And I trust Obama enough to believe he chose who he chose for the right reasons

What I find encouraging is the reaction of people like Melissa Etheridge, who decided to sing at the inauguration anyway. She obviously disagrees with Warren's views on same-sex marriage, but doesn't feel that that's reason enough to boycot the inauguration. Obama is trying to be the president of all of us, and while we shouldn't put up with any crap from anyone, we have to sit at the table with people we don't like and don't agree with. There are a lot of people I'd like to punch out. But we have to choose our punching bags carefully. People don't have the right to hurt us. But they have the right to disagree.

I'll be happy when ALL unions are civil unions, when ALL unions that need to be recognized by the government for protection and benefits are civil and not religious. The government has no place in our bedrooms. The government has no place in our churches or temples, either. The same-sex union issue should not be dividing us as it has.

Joyeux Noel!

[sockguynyc]

If there had been a minister who was against black and white people getting married given a position of great importance at the inauguration in 1965, we would look back now and know that was absolutely wrong.

Giving this guy such an important position in the inauguration is making him more powerful. Also it sends the message to Obama supporters (who might be on the fence) that it's OK to be against equal rights for gay people.

That's why it's important to always speak out against someone who is unjust, unfair, and just plain wrong.

[Head2Foot]

Sockguynyc, the only thing that has given this "position" such "importance" is the gay protest against Rick Warren. No one would have paid much attention to a preacher giving an invocation if there had been no protest. Now, of course, to some people he's the only thing that is important about the inauguration. I hate to come across as some kind of apologist for Rick Warren, but I think this is a truly misguided action on the part of some gay factions. The only people that might be persuaded about gay civil rights are those Evangelicals who had a reasonable viewpoint and may now be convinced by this protest that gays are intolerant of Christians and don't deserve their support.

[sockguynyc]

If he was a minister who was against black and white people getting married it would be important and people would be rightly protesting-- whether it annoyed some people or not. Or whether it made some bigoted people express their bigotry more openly.

[ftlaudft]

Maybe we should think a little about what the law can do and what the law cannot do. Maybe we should think a little about what Pastor Warren has the right to do and what he does not have the right to do. Does he have the right to throw stones at us when we walk down the street? No. Does he have the right to beat us up? No. Does he have the right to choose to avoid our place of business and shop elsewhere? I think so. Does he have the right to decide whether or not we can get married in his church? Most definitely. Does he have the right to prevent a union, a CIVIL union, valid in the eyes of the government, a union that gives any couple all the rights of any married couple? No! No! and again, No!

Can the law make Pastor Warren like us? No. Can the law make Pastor Warren let us get married in his church? No. Can the law make Pastor Warren welcome us in his church and greet us with a Christian bear hug? Gee, I really don't think so.

Can the law protect us from religious fanatics who would like to stone us to death? Yes. Can the law protect us from people who want to stop us from committing acts of sodomy or hippo-podamy in our bedrooms, our bathrooms, our kitchens - even our backyards if the hedges are high enough? Yes, the law must protect us.

But the word "marriage" is a sore spot in all our arguments. Marriage has a religious component and it also has a civil component. The civil component should be the only part the government concerns itself with. ALL couples, gay, straight and undecided, should have CIVIL registration or ceremony. Period. If the law is going to give couples the rights of married people, ALL the rights, then ALL people being united should be required to have a CIVIL ceremony or registration act. Nothing else is necessary.

Then, if any couple wants a religious rite or ritual, let them go to their church or temple and do what they want to do. If they want to go to a mountain top, whip out their dicks and shake them at the moon while they recite "Mary had a little lamb", why, let them go to it. I really don't give a rat's ass! Do you?

But until the religious component is removed from the government's concern, until all couples are required to register in civil acts, we will be running in circles as we are now and shooting ourselves in the ass with our own protests. If Pastor Warren and the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury don't like my attitude, well, I don't plan on inviting them to my next strawberry and sodomy lawn social either!