When Barack Obama chose anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-porn Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration, gays and lesbians—still smarting from Prop 8—were understandably upset. Well, I thought our dismay was understandable. But a lot of folks in the comments threads here, there, and everywhere disagreed. Barack was just trying to bring the country together, to find common ground, and Rick Warren invited him to his church, and how dare you get upset, trust the man, let him get into office before you start grousing at him about this, why are you worrying about symbolism when it’s policy that matters, and blah blah blah.
Then when Barack Obama chose Gene Robinson, the gay Episcopal bishop, to give the invocation at today’s pre-inaugural festivities—the concert at the Lincoln Memorial—the folks defending Obama were all like, “SEE? Obama is bringing the country together! Anti-gay preachers, gay preachers—everyone is equal and equally welcome!” And Gene Robinson did give the invocation at today’s concert…and his words were very moving. You can read the full text of Robinson’s prayer here.
But if you were watching HBO’s broadcast of the concert you didn’t see Robinson, or hear his remarks… because Robinson’s invocation wasn’t included in the broadcast. Skipped over during the live broadcast, edited out of the rebroadcast.
Are we allowed to be upset about that?
How about the fact that today’s other big gay moment—the D.C. gay men’s chorus singing with Josh Groban—passed without the chorus, unlike every other performer, being identified?
But, hey, we made the list—Barack’s good about including us in the list of people he wants to bring together: “If we could just recognize ourselves in one another… Democrats, Republicans, Independents; Latino, Asian, and Native Americans. Black and white, gay and straight, disabled and not…” I don’t see how straight Americans can recognize themselves in gay Americans if they’re not allowed to see us, I don’t see how this inauguration brings us all together if gay Americans are edited out of the festivities.
UPDATE: HBO says it didn’t keep Robinson off the broadcast… the Obama team did.
Contacted Sunday night by AfterElton.com concerning the exclusion of Robinson’s prayer, HBO said via email, “The producer of the concert has said that the Presidential Inaugural Committee made the decision to keep the invocation as part of the pre-show.”
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Wherever the fault lies, this is yet another unfortunate turn involving GLBT concerns over Obama’s selection of Rick Warren to deliver the prayer at Obama’s inauguration. Many in the gay community saw Robinson’s selection to deliver Sunday’s prayer as an olive branch.
But given that most Americans could not attend the concert, instead having to watch it on television, the decision to not broadcast the prayer is being seen by many in the GLBT community as a slight.
When you’re throwing folks a bone it’s a good idea to make sure they can, you know, see the bone.
Make up your mind. Choose one tactic and stick with it.
1) Do you want to be treated like everyone else?
“People in civil unions should have the same rights people in traditional marriages”
2) Do you want to be singled out?
“wahhhh, they didn’t say the men’s choir members sucked dick”
I don’t care which one you want, personally, but you can’t have it both ways. Those are the rules of the game.
Obama didn’t get elected by pointing out he was black- gays and lesbians won’t get equal treatment until they master that tactic as well.
“fahqueue” (gesundheit) makes a completely nonsensical argument.
Hint: Being gay isn’t about action, it’s about orientation. Identifying a group as a gay-men’s chorus does not mean “choir members sucked dick”.
A heterosexual male is attracted to women long before he ever engages in a sexual act. Similarly, a gay male is attracted to long before engaging in a sexual act.
Sexual orientation is just that — an orientation.
An office worker who places a framed photo of his wife upon his desk is not declaring “I’m a vagina fucker” — he is declaring his love for his partner.
Anyone who can’t tell the difference is stuck in a puerile mentality.
Obama is like, the messiah, dude. He can do no wrong! Yeaaaah. Get ready to take a good look of the underside of that bus again.
I was living and working in politics in Columbus, Ohio when Bill Clinton was first elected. I remember election night very clearly – my Democratic Party friends in the main floor ballroom and my gay and lesbian friends in a room in the basement. It made me uncomfortable and when I asked about it I was told that at least this year they are allowed in the same hotel. When I asked why am I – a lesbian – greeted warmly in the ballroom when others are shoved in the basement? I have to say the answers ranged from you are one of us to you are a token.
It did not make me comfortable then and it does not make me comfortable today. We have a long way to go before my family is seen as equal. Yes, Prop 8 was disappointing but let’s not forget what happened in Oklahoma. I was told that my kids would be better tossed around in foster care than living with me. I have several friends of mixed race that are in their 40’s – they can tell stories of similar sentiments being directed towards their families when they were young.
the choir was identified on NPR. i didn’t hear the bishop though.
Divide and conquer, the right wing doesn’t have to do it, because we do it so effectively ourselves. GLBT Civil Rights are a legitimate issue, but are those civil rights the most pressing issue facing our nation today? If you’re gay, more than likely yes, but if you have cancer, health care reform is probably that issue. if your kid is in Iraq right now, that’s probably the most pressing issue. If you’ve just lost your job and your home, the economy probably ranks pretty high etc. etc. We all have issues that we’re passionate about (hopefully), but I hope that we have the ability to look past ourselves and see the bigger picture. Personally, I really don’t like the idea of an invocation all together, what with the whole “separation of Church and State” thing, but I think I’ll hold off on rioting in the streets until Obama actually has a chance to govern!
Yes, national priorities probably put gay rights several notches down the list from Iraq, but that’s not the point. We’re talking about gratuitous insults. To put Robinson on the program, then keep him off TV, looks like a gratuitous insult to me. Ditto the DC gay men’s chorus. To stuff gay Democratic volunteers in the basement also sounds like a gratuitous insult to me….
Politicians will always try to have it both ways. Obama & team are pragmatic politicians. And sometimes pragmatism is indistinguishable from hypocrisy, depending on your point of view.
Jason: Plenty of gays stood by Obama when it counted. For all this nonsense talk about being “divided”, gay people haven’t changed positions at all on whether or not they want equal rights.
The only people doing the dividing are our straight “allies” who can’t decide whether they really want to support us or not, or whether it’s worth spending the political capitol do get something as “trivial” as equal rights for the LGBTQ done.
33mhz I really don’t know where you got the quote “trivial”. It was nowhere in my post. In fact, GLBT rights are far from trivial in my opinion. I personally feel they are fucking important! And Guffman, I am not attempting to place these same issues on some sort of sliding scale of where they rank as a national priority. I am simply stating that there are multiple scales that we all apply to our own pet issues that rank each of them at the top.
What is central to my argument; is that the Right wing knows when to set aside their differences and get behind a central platform. When Bush would pay lip service to conserving our natural resources/environment, his buddies in the oil industries didn’t march in the streets. Why? Because they knew that his LEGISLATION would still ensure that they got their checks.
I say we provide a united front, because those of us on the left; environmentalists, peace activists, gays, free press advocates, etc. have a hell of a lot more in common with each other, than we do with those fuckers that would just as soon sweep us all under the rug. If Obama governs in a way that is most central to our issues I say right on. However, If he actually LEGISLATES to the whim of the Right Wing, I’ll get in line with the rest of you to condemn the man. I’m just going to wait til his actually IN OFFICE for a while before I do.
Jason, you either missed my (crystal-clear) central point or chose to ignore it. This isn’t about governance. This isn’t about legislation. This is about a specific & deliberate slight. Not law, not policy.
And if you’re so interested in a “united front,” why can’t you find some outrage in this issue on behalf of a group of people you include in the words “we” and “us”?
Guffman, my apologies. It was never my intention to patronize or make light of anyone’s feelings on the issue. It is never a good idea to tell people when they should feel slighted, or when the should “get over themselves” or any such nonsense. I hope that through such a brief discussion, I have gained some understanding of the sentiment behind your point, and I hope that I have been somewhat able to present my point of view on the matter without being a total asshat. Truce?
Spoken (written) like a true gentleman. Truce accepted. You’ve been thoroughly civil BTW. I respect that.
Y’know, our liberal forefathers fought against the Vietnam War while simultaneously boycotting grapes & lettuce, long before the word “multitasking” was coined. I think today’s American Left can find a way to oppose the Iraq War & fignt for gay rights at the same time 🙂