goddamnit we are not your clowns!
a few thoughts on the Rick Warren thing, which is of course receiving tons of coverage on better blogs. pandagon is compiling responses from LGBTQ organizations, but i want to pick up on the theme from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Obama campaigned on the idea of finding common ground. he's using that to justify this pick -- saying that he may not agree with Rick Warren on LGBTQ issues and reproductive freedom, but that there are other good things about him. something about poverty and aids. except that the first tenant of warren's PEACE plan for Rwanda is "Plant Churches." except that the kind of education he would promote would teach entire generations that women are inferior and shouldn't be allowed control over their own bodies. that LGBTQ people are "sick" and in need of a cure, as well as being at fault for AIDS. that james dobson has the right idea, but the wrong tone. this isn't common ground. this isn't inclusive. this is a major failure on the part of the obama inauguration committee to live up to the promise of the campaign, to live up to the promise of the acceptance speech, to live up to their own rhetoric. Rick Warren is a mysogynistic bigoted man with little difference from the type of extremist evangelicals who have controlled the bush presidency. this isn't change. this is the old stupidity in a new suit.
the talking points released by the obama inaugural commitee stretch to justify this -- they bring up that obama is trying to reach out to the people who didn't vote for him, that there will be two preachers speaking that day, and one of them is for LGBTQ rights, so it's only fair that one of them be against. this is a betrayal of all of obama's own rhetoric about LGBTQ issues being the province of civil rights. bigotry is NOT a valid policy position, and it does not deserve a place at the table. we're told this is ok because there's an LGBTQ group marching in the parade, and that we should be content with that. bullshit.
want to do something? talk to these people:
Emmett Beliveau, the executive director/CEO of the Inaugural Committee:
202-203-1715
; emmett@pic2009.org.
Parag Mehta is Obama’s LGBT liaison on the transition team - parag.mehta@ptt.gov
Obama campaigned on the idea of finding common ground. he's using that to justify this pick -- saying that he may not agree with Rick Warren on LGBTQ issues and reproductive freedom, but that there are other good things about him. something about poverty and aids. except that the first tenant of warren's PEACE plan for Rwanda is "Plant Churches." except that the kind of education he would promote would teach entire generations that women are inferior and shouldn't be allowed control over their own bodies. that LGBTQ people are "sick" and in need of a cure, as well as being at fault for AIDS. that james dobson has the right idea, but the wrong tone. this isn't common ground. this isn't inclusive. this is a major failure on the part of the obama inauguration committee to live up to the promise of the campaign, to live up to the promise of the acceptance speech, to live up to their own rhetoric. Rick Warren is a mysogynistic bigoted man with little difference from the type of extremist evangelicals who have controlled the bush presidency. this isn't change. this is the old stupidity in a new suit.
the talking points released by the obama inaugural commitee stretch to justify this -- they bring up that obama is trying to reach out to the people who didn't vote for him, that there will be two preachers speaking that day, and one of them is for LGBTQ rights, so it's only fair that one of them be against. this is a betrayal of all of obama's own rhetoric about LGBTQ issues being the province of civil rights. bigotry is NOT a valid policy position, and it does not deserve a place at the table. we're told this is ok because there's an LGBTQ group marching in the parade, and that we should be content with that. bullshit.
want to do something? talk to these people:
Emmett Beliveau, the executive director/CEO of the Inaugural Committee:
202-203-1715
; emmett@pic2009.org.
Parag Mehta is Obama’s LGBT liaison on the transition team - parag.mehta@ptt.gov