Obama & Warren On & On: Don't exalt ignorance & hatred

Thank you Richard Cohen! He writes in the Washington Post:

He (Obama) went on to say, "We can disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans." Sounds nice.

But what we do not "hold in common" is the dehumanization of homosexuals. What we do not hold in common is the belief that gays are perverts who have chosen their sexual orientation on some sort of whim. What we do not hold in common is the exaltation of ignorance that has led and will lead to discrimination and violence.

Finally, what we do not hold in common is the categorization of a civil rights issue -- the rights of gays to be treated equally -- as some sort of cranky cultural difference. For that we need moral leadership, which, on this occasion, Obama has failed to provide. For some people, that's nothing to celebrate.

E.J. Dionne offers another point of view.

Out-Lesbian Tammy Baldwin named inaugural co-chair

Interesting. Madison, Wisconsin's own Tammy Baldwin has made the list as an honorary co-chair of Barack Obama's inauguration. I'm not certain what an "honorary co-chair" does. I suspect it involves standing around and looking, ah, honorable, but I do appreciate the symbolic bone tossed to LGBT Americans.

Since I was feeling so emotional and wounded about the Rick Warren thing, I do have to say that this does take some of the sting out of the Warren slap in the face. Other folks, however, remain angry. See the comments at Pam's place.

Life, liberty & the pursuit of Rick Warren

I'm rushing to meet a deadline so that I can actually get some time off this Christmas week. (Ah, the glamorous life of a writer!) Meanwhile, I've been mulling the Rick Warren thing and want to write more on this, but, alas, there's no time and nor room left in my brain to do so. On the other hand, there are some interesting new angles on the Warren uproar.

Melissa Etheridge's wife, Tammy Lynn Michaels, weighs in on the topic. It seems that Etheridge and Warren ended up on the same stage on Saturday, and had a talk backstage.

Andrew Sullivan, who I alternately want to celebrate and strangle, has some interesting perspectives on the idea of seeking freedom vs. power and the wounded gay community and what it means to really have a different kind of politics.

Joe Klein does the best job of explaining why Warren should be invited to the inauguration.

Personally, I still feel like I was kicked in the gut by the choice of Warren, but I'm willing to listen more. On the other hand, I still have questions. Some folks claim that Warren is a "kinder, gentler" fundamentalist and that he actually does support some legal rights for queers. Inquiring minds want to know more.

For example, we know that Warren's church does not allow "unrepentant" gays to become members. I understand his theological argument -- wrong headed and decidedly unchristian as it is. However, banning gays doesn't give me hope that Warren is even remotely concerned about fairness for LGBT Americans.

I haven't done the research I need to do on this yet, and I'd love to know more.

Where does Warren stand on other issues of basic legal fairness for LGBT people? Does he support any kind of civil right for the people whose relationships he equates with pedophilia and incest?