Don't email me -- at least not for a day, or two. My inbox exploded.
I received a courtesy call yesterday afternoon from my I.T. expert after she noticed that my inbox had reached its capacity. "It's okay," I responded as I assured her that the sudden surge in messages wasn't due to Internet spam. "It's Rick Warren."
While the Rev. Rick Warren is best known to America as the author of A Purpose Driven Life, the Reverend betrayed his carefully crafted image of a moderate evangelical by aggressively supporting the passage of Proposition 8 -- and blatantly "bearing false witness" in the process. In his support for the measure Warren misleadingly argued that the proposition was needed to legally protect the free speech of those that disagreed with the freedom to marry. As incorrect as that line is, it was left largely unchecked by the media in the days leading up to the Election -- thus contributing significantly to Proposition 8's passage.
So why was my inbox exploding yesterday instead of back in November? Yesterday morning, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced that Warren would deliver the invocation at the ceremony on January 20. "Did you see this?" questioned many of the emails with blog links, press releases, and media write-ups included, while even more asked, "Aren't you outraged?"
However, only a few emails asked the most relevant question: "What should we do?"
Like many, I am angry and outraged that Rick Warren was chosen to give the invocation for an administration that was elected with the promise of change. How did the Inaugural team -- which includes openly LGBT people -- let this one slip through the cracks? In the context of the passage of Proposition 8, the choice of Warren is particularly stinging to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans and our allies. His words have been hurtful and, more importantly, his actions have been harmful.
The choice of Warren also underscores the fact that no openly-LGBT participant has been selected to take part in the Inaugural ceremony, no openly-LGBT person has been chosen to serve in the presidential cabinet, no openly-LGBT personnel have been named to any level of the White House staff, and only one openly-gay presidential appointee (Nancy Sutley) has been announced to date by the transition team.
Our community -- at least from what my inbox has seen -- has been quick to share our anger at this choice. But while advocates -- especially the LGBT netroots -- are rightfully telling the incoming administration that this isn't right, our community has been slow to share a solution.
Unfortunately, this is a pattern in modern LGBT advocacy. We saw the same anger over rumors earlier this year that former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia (the architect of opposition in 1993 to service by openly-gay military personnel) was being considered for the position of Vice President. Our community loudly said "No to Nunn!"- just as we said "No to Nunn!" to similar rumors in 2004 and 2000. Yet, in saying "no" our community failed to share what we could say "yes" to.
If we want to enact pro-equality policy and change, we need to take a page out of Harvey Milk's playbook: we have to give them hope. We need to say what we want, not just what we don't want.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee and the Transition Office have heard our anger. We have their attention. So, now is the time to offer them our solutions. What can the Inaugural Committee the Transition Office and the LGBT & allied community now do together?
Here are three things that we can advocate for.
Our inclusion at the Inauguration
The inaugural ceremony is a celebration of the entire American family. Having an openly-LGBT member of our family participate in that event would speak loudly to our American values. Can we do that? Yes we can.
An Openly-LGBT Cabinet Member
Building a diverse presidential cabinet that reflects the talents of our nation is a strength that can be fortified with an openly-LGBT cabinet member. We have a great candidate in Mary Beth Maxwell, who is often mentioned as a potential choice for Secretary of Labor. Can we do that? Yes we can.
Openly-LGBT Presidential Appointees and White House Staff
As scores of presidential appointments are being announced, we have only received word of one openly-LGBT appointee - and no openly-LGBT White House staff. The Victory Fund has partnered with dozens of organizations (including Stonewall Democrats) on a tremendous project that has helped to identify talented prospects for these positions. So, can we work with the Victory Fund and Transition Office to address this? Yes we can.
I've said I'm angry, but I'm also offering three concrete suggestions. We all know from our personal lives and advocacy that it requires more than anger to move individuals and institutions. By offering a solution -- and our partnership -- we are able to apply accountability and measure results.
Just as we voted for change in the White House, we need to also change how our community does advocacy -- especially in how we respond to setbacks. Facing four years of a friendly Administration and Congress, our community will make great progress on issues of equality. We are also going to find ourselves disappointed and angry at times -- just as we have found ourselves angry with the selection of Rick Warren. Sometimes the mistakes will be unintentional, sometimes they may show negligence, and other times the mistakes may call for aggressive campaigning if it looks like our equality is being traded for political gain. But we have to stop just simply saying "no." Statistics show that it didn't work when Nancy Reagan said it and it doesn't work for getting us closer to equality.
This is an opportunity to not only to change the Inaugural ceremony, but to change ourselves. Let's use this moment to train ourselves to not just react in anger, but to leverage missteps with corrective actions that actually contribute to the implementation of pro-equality policy.
So post your ideas on change.gov. Write to the Transition and Inaugural teams to share your disappoint with Rev. Warren, but couple it with suggestions for improvements.
And yes, feel free to CC me on those emails. I went ahead and paid for a bigger email inbox.
Dear President-elect Obama - Who’s next, David Duke for the Supreme Court?
Let me get right to the point. Your invitation to Reverend Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at your inauguration is a genuine blow to LGBT Americans. Our loss in California over the passage of Proposition 8 which stripped loving, committed same-sex couples of their given legal right to marry is the greatest loss our community has faced in 40 years. And by inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table.
Rick Warren has not sat on the sidelines in the fight for basic equality and fairness. In fact, Rev. Warren spoke out vocally in support of Prop 8 in California saying, there is no need to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2 percent of our population
Rev. Warren cannot name a single theological issue that he and vehemently, anti-gay theologian James Dobson
Norman LeBoon SR
The Clintons spent Bill's two terms as President attempting to appease the right wing. Look where that got them: Ken Starr's $50 million inquisition!
I had hoped for better from an Obama administration. It was the only chance we had given the history of the most popular alternatives. His conservative cabinet appointments have been a huge disappointment. Now this anti-gay pastor debacle.
Obama needs to start reaching out to the people who supported him in the 2008 campaign. If he doesn't, he'll be a one term president.
The last couple of weeks have really given me pause: the vitriolic, cheap shots at Caroline Kennedy (socialite, dilletante, princess, entitlement queen, J Lo, etc.); the hyperbolic back and forth over Rick Warren (why must the left compare anyone they don't like to Hitler?); and the all the paranoid conspiracy theories from the The Tin Foil Hat Brigades about birth certificates and Blago "pay to play."
God knows, I've been as prone to ranting as the next person with a belief system, but there's a level of mean-spiritedness in all of the above that I'm beginning to find repulsive. America's a big tent. We're never going to agree with one another on everything. Why not try understanding, civility and respect instead of stereotyping and villifying.
It was Republican Senator Everett Dirksen who worked with LBJ to get the votes necessary to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Who knows, if we start treating one another decently the political dynamics might change and we may actually be able to clean up some of the messes we're in.
He has pledged to review close to 1000 federal laws to make sure they are updated to include gays and lesbians. He has hired and vetted a record number of openly gay men and women for his staff.
Obama is not trying to be The President of "True Progressives", or The President of Blue America, or The President of Black America, or The President of Only Democratic Consituencies. Remember, on Nov. 4th, he was elected PRESIDENT of THE UNITED STATES. The 50 States. RED & BLUE. Secular and Religious. Urban and Rural...he has to represent all of us. And if that means building a "coalition government" to get crucial pieces of legislation through, then what's wrong with that?
And to date, we're not at the table. No openly LGBT cabinet positions. Only 1 even high level appointment that is LGBT at the White House Council of Environmental Quality.
Obama is great at reaching across the aisle, but we're asking that he include our community in a serious way, too. So far, that hasn't happened.
Understand our anger?
With that being said I support equal everything for everybody. Obama is trying to make everyone happy but that will never happen. We have to give this man a chance. He's clearly trying to make America see that we share common interests. We need to step out of our boxes and stop shouting at each other. Only then can we truly have progress.
The gay civil rights movement may not be the same as the african-american civil rights movement or the women rights movement, but it IS a civil rights movement of its own whether you like it or not or whether you agree with it or not.
And gays are going to continue pressing for civil rights and equal rights whether or not you find that disrespectful.
This is not a competition to see who had it worse. African-Americans do not own the words "civil rights" to themselves.
And don't be fooled by this "new politics" rhetoric. That's just good old fashioned DLC triangulation against the based wrapped in a new package.
Would a figure from a church that did not accept black members be asked to participate? or someone who campaigned for segregation?
I'd *like* to see an apology from the Obama team, and a vociferous disowning of Warren's positions. And then real action driven from the Obama executive office towards establishing equal rights.
I guess we Dems have our kooks too.
Ok, so how does he really feel? I say he feels like having Rick Warren deliver the invocation at his Inaugural ceremony. Speaks volumes.