Obama Invites Anti-Gay Preacher to Give Inaugural Invocation

Obama Invites Anti-Gay Preacher to Give Inaugural Invocation
The Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force have denounced the selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the Jan. 20 inauguration. Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, is an outspoken opponent of marriage equality, reproductive choice and stem-cell research. Warren has gone so far as to equate marriage between same-sex couples with incest and pedophilia.

Watch this video of Warren supporting anti-gay Prop. 8 in CA



Why is Obama reaching out to anti-gay bigots like Rick Warren and anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family?

Like many progressives who are concerned about Obama's "center-right" choices for economic and state cabinet positions, gays and lesbians have reason to be concerned. Obama has yet to show any political spine to stand up to the religious and political right.

While Obama felt obligated to denounce his pastor Jeremiah Wright (who supports equality for gays and lesbians), but does not feel obligated to denounce anti-gay religious bigots like Rick Warren? Why is Obama more afraid of offending the Religious Right than he is of offending progressives who supported him?

Bill Clinton made made many promises to gays and lesbians and campaigned to support our rights. Once in office, however, he broke every promise he made. He not only dropped his pledge to sign an executive order lifting the ban on gays in the U.S. military, he signed on the the anti-gay "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which even makes publicly identifying as gay grounds for dismissal from the military. Even worse, Clinton supported the anti-gay "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA), probably the most anti-gay piece of legislation in modern American history, and ran ads on Christian radio stations bragging about it!

Will Obama *uck the gay community the way Clinton did? We should learn from the Clinton experience that just electing a "gay-friendly" liberal is not enough. We have to organize to force the "Change" we want. Electing Obama was a good thing, but it is only the beginning of a long hard fight.

If the Democrats blow this opportunity, again, it may be the last chance they have to deliver on their promises not only to gays and lesbians, but to all progressives.

Read the HRC Letter to Pres. Elect Obama on Rick Warren

More:
Obama Invocation Choice Causing Rift with Progressives

Obama: Views on Gays Consistent Despite Warren Invite

What's the Matter with Rick Warren?

Warren: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing