Wednesday, December 17, 2008

HRC Letter in Response To Rick Warren Invite to Obama Inauguration

Brad Luna of the Human Rights Campaign released the following letter by HRC President Joe Solmonese addressing Barack Obama's announcement that anti-gay preacher Rick Warren would be giving the invocation at Obama's inauguration on January 20th:

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
UPDATE 3:04PM PST: many LGBT and progressive bloggers (like MadProfessah) are incensed over this selection of a homophobe in such a prominent role in the inauguration. Joe My God has posted the video of Rick Warren exhorting his flock to vote YES ON PROP 8. Pam of Pam's House Blend has posted the email address of the LGBT Liaison to the Obama Transition Team: parag.mehta@ptt.gov and invited people to send their own letters letting them know how they feel. Atrios has named Barack Obama "wanker of the day" for selecting Warren for the benediction. Oxdown at Firedoglake.com has the story on the front page.

2 comments:

Ron Buckmire said...

I sent this note to members of the ransition team:

I am writing to you because your email addresses have appeared on popular progressive and LGBT blogs today as LGBT liaisons to the Presidential Transition Team.
I am very disappointed that such a divisive figure as Rick Warren has been selected to give the benediction during President Obama's inauguration. I had intended to come to the inauguration but I really don't feel like doing so knowing
that someone who actively campaigned to strip me and my husband of our right to marry in California by urging a YES vote on Proposition 8 in California is being welcomed by President-elect Obama.

As an African American gay man it is an affront to all LGBT citizens that someone whose policy positions are so antithetical to my well-being is being given such a prominent role in what should have been a celebratory moment for all
Americans as we acknowledge the progress we have made to forming a more perfect union with the swearing-in of the first non-white President.

Please reconsider!

Joe the Cynic said...

There may yet be hope we can believe in represented by this Inaugural Drama in Three Acts: (i) an invocation by the notoriously heterosexist Rick Warren; (ii) the actual oath-taking of Barack Obama as he becomes President of the United States; (iii) a benediction by the long-time African-American civil rights activist and advocate of marriage equality Joseph Lowery.

Is there a sub-text here--past, present, and future?

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