Anti-Gay Televangelist to Deliver Obama's Inaugural Invocation

Shock and disbelief among progressives and gay activists after it was announced evangelist and staunch gay rights opponent Pastor Rick Warren will deliver the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

The founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California—who sponsored a forum on faith and values attended by Obama and John McCain in August—was an outspoken supporter of California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 and has compared same-sex marriage to incest, pedophilia and polygamy.

Warren has also touted CNN's much-discredited Proposition 8 exit polls to rationalize the social conservative position that the rights of gays and lesbians do not constitute civil rights. "This debate is not really about civil rights, but a desire for approval. The fact that 70% of blacks supported Prop 8 shows they don't believe it is a civil rights issue. Gays in California already have their rights."

And here is the good reverend appearing in a television commercial urging Californians to vote "yes" on Proposition 8. Warren also cleverly uses the talking point that Obama agrees with him on gay marriage.

The Obama inauguration will provide the conservative televangelist with an international platform and a veneer of respectability. The inauguration invocation will also be a data point for social conservatives, the anti-gay movement and the anti-choice crowd, vis a vis "Warren delivered the first black president's invocation, so, he really can't be called a bigot." It's a no-win situation for progressives and gays and becomes Obama's Sister Soulja moment—Obama has been cultivating Warren's friendship for two years and the powerful pastor will not be dis-invited. No matter how hard we huff and puff, the house ain't blowing down. And the new president stands his ground with liberals and gays.

No worries. Once the Obama transition team announces Mary Beth Maxwell as Labor Secretary, all will be forgiven.

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Some Background ...
Obama and McCain Agree to Forum [R20]
"Pastor Warren, Would You Let a White Supremacist Speak at Your Church?" [R20]
"Christians" Opposed to Obama[R20]
Far-Right Not Interested in Disease [R20]
Far-Right Not Interested in Disease Pt 2[R20]
Obama: Not "Very Christian" to Criticize Gays [R20]
Obama: Hospital Visitation for Gay Couples is "Not a Special Privilege" [R20]
Behind the Gay-Friendly Faces [The Advocate + PDF]
A Tale of Two Cities [The Advocate]
I Have a Dream ... Ticket [The Advocate]

Comments

[Earl FF]

Nice thought but the Obama team is not naming a gay cabinet secretary.

[Greg G]

That's change! An anti-gay spiritual advisor to the president.
NOT

[Harrison]

It is unfortunate that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are what I would call bigots-lite with respect to gay marriage. They just don’t seem to get that gay people deserve civil rights the same as everyone. They may understand intellectually, but they don’t really care deeply enough to participate in the fight. It’s really quite sad. However, they are a better choice than the openly bigoted Republican candidates they ran against. His choice of a rabid bigot like Rick Warren for his inauguration means I will not watch what would otherwise be a happy moment.

[Ricky]

I won't be watching.

[Oliver Simpson]

What a lousy choice. Obama must have let idiot choose a man filled with such hateful rhetoric. Or maybe he was the idiot.

What a stupid idea.

[M. Mark]

Humph. Donnie McClurkin doesn't seem like such an "accident" after all.

[Barry S]

Warren may not come across as big of an a**hole as Falwell did, but that doesn’t make Warren’s ideas any less repugnant.

The President-Elect should know better.

[Liberal Mom]

What a major disappointment.

Um, note to Team Obama: You WON the election, you can stop pandering now!

PEACE

[305]

I am withholding my judgment to see what Obama actually does for our black gay community. But I will admit this is not a good start at all.

[Zavi Flowers]

Rod, I was wondering why you were so late with this...this is right up your alley you have been talking about Obama and Ricky for years. I guess you are allowed slow days sometimes. ;0

So what do you think we should do? Just bend over and say , sir please may I have another/

[Brandon]

The inauguration invocation will also be a data point for social conservatives, the anti-gay movement and the anti-choice crowd, vie "Warren delivered the first black president's invocation, so, he really can't be called a bigot."

EXACTLY!
I guess this only goes to enforce the notion that blacks don’t view the gay “plight” with ANY empathy whatsoever.

Shame, shame…

[Anderson]

Oh this is rich. An white evangelist with ties to racist Christians gives the prayer at the inugural of first black president.

I still love me some Obama but we know when we have been played.

[Burnett]

Obama won in a landslide. He has a mandate for change. There is no reason to do this but he keeps playing footsie with Republicans.

Change indeed.

[I Aim to Please]

Why couldn’t he find a UCC minister?

I guess Obama’s UCC ties weren’t much after all. What will Bill Moyers, fellow UCC’er, say?

So much for a twenty year deep spiritual relationship.

[Isis]

This is disappointing! I have several gay friends and they are the ones who turned me on to this blog. I am very passionate about Gay/Civil Rights and this choice by the Obama Administration disheartens me GREATLY!! However, while I am none to pleased about this choice, I do NOT regret casting my vote for Barack!! I just hope he makes better choices in the future. Also, does anyone know if this is set in stone? Could there be a chance to change to a more favorable speaker?

[Isis]

This is disappointing! I have several gay friends and they are the ones who turned me on to this blog. I am very passionate about Gay/Civil Rights and this choice by the Obama Administration disheartens me GREATLY!! However, while I am none to pleased about this choice, I do NOT regret casting my vote for Barack!! I just hope he makes better choices in the future. Also, does anyone know if this is set in stone? Could there be a chance to change to a more favorable speaker?

[Mark Norris]

"No matter how hard we huff and puff, the house ain't blowing down." And I say...GOOD! I am sorry sometimes we huff and puff too damn much for our own good. How the hell do we expect Pres. Obama or any politician for that matter to make all the choices that we agree with. It is the same thing as the ole, "you can't please all of the people all of the time". If we always get uptight or protest when someone is in the public eye that we don't agree with, or who doesn't agree with us, then we would be a very isolated and hoarse bunch. Lighten up, folks. We got the best candidate in office and yes he does get that we should have the same rights as everyone else. There may be a slight difference in the ways we want to get there, but in the end he feels in his heart that Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders are worthy of equal opportunities and rights like the rest of the world.

[FREELEO]

Thanks for talking me down Mark. You are correct. I can't expect Obama to agree with all of my choices. I think Obama is way more secular then he lets on so he really doesn't care who gives the prayer. It could have been worse. He could have chosen that god awful Bernice King to give the prayer.

[Trevor]

"If we always get uptight or protest when someone is in the public eye that we don't agree with, or who doesn't agree with us, then we would be a very isolated and hoarse bunch."

So you protest when? When you do agree with things?

And how do you know what Obama believes "in his heart"??? Everyone keeps saying what Obama "really" believes. If that is the case, Obama "believes in his heart" we should have equal rights or get married but DOESN'T PUBLICLY SAY IT ... that's the "old politics" no?

[kevjack]

Obama is no better than Clinton. Clinton threw gays under the bus when the spot got hot. Obama already has us under the bus (along with Rev. Wright, his grandmother, and anybody else he needs to disown). It should have been very clear that in Obama's world you either get in line or you get put out. That is how he works. We are not important to him because he believes we have nowhere else to turn. That is what a sister souljah moment is all about-- rolling your eyes at your base.

How can he include us in his speeches and then embrace those who defame us? How can he talk about our equality on the one hand and not lift a finger to help when it matters?

I am not going to play the excuse game with this President. We did that with the last one and got 8 years of pure hell. My eyes are open and I see him for who he is. I am going to hold him accountable the way I hold our preachers, leaders, and other representatives accountable. I am not going to sing his praises just because he looks like me. I'm over that. I'm about the policies and the actions. I don't want or care to "read his heart". His heart is where his priorities and decisions tell me it is.

Translation: keep an eye out.

[GEEGEE69]

I Aim to please you are on point!
Why did'nt he pick a UCC Minister?
I really don't understand why Our President Elect Chooses to distance himself from his denomination all of a sudden? we have alot of powerful african american UCC Ministers (I being Black and UCC myself) that he Could've asked to deliver the invocation. you have his Pastor of 20 years, Jeremiah Wright(In spite of!)or Bishop Yvette Flunder ? I am still for Obama and I do believe whole heartedly that he will bring CHANGE to this nation but I feel that he is still trying to get approval from the conservatives proving to them that he's a CHRISTIAN and by having Rick Warren deliver the invocation is a perfect example of people pleasing.

[Nite In Shining Armour]

It is definitly a strange choice. I would like to know his reseaning behind this move.

[anthony Smith]

Ha Ha Ha. I love it. That just proves that Obama hates Faggots along with practically every body else in the world. He was just stringing ya'll evil asses along so that he could get your vote.

[Phil McGuffey]

I'm soooo disappointed. How could Obama do this. I feel as if I have been misled, betrayed...first Obama caves on Iraq and now he supports an ant-gay minister. He'll have to run against Sarah Palin to get my vote next time.

[ff]

It'd be nice if Obama could talk some sense into Warren while he has him there.

I understand Obama wanting to, in a sense, reach across party lines to work with others who have different viewpoints. Obama could learn some things that way and also TEACH some things to, um, those less informed.

But I'm having problems giving him the benefit of the doubt here. Having a dialogue or conversation with Warren is one thing but doing the inaugural invocation is surprising to say the least.

I hope this is not a sign of things to come for Barack