I've been sitting on this note for awhile. I wrote it shortly after the announcement that Pastor Rick Warren had been invited to give the invocation at the inauguration of Barack Obama. I had hoped to be able to send it to the transition offices but have not been able to find an e-mail address, so just thought I'd post it here. Feel free to share and if you know how to get this to the Obama folks please send it with my regards.
I am writing, as I am sure so many others have probably done so before me, to express my deep disappointment in the selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at President Obama's inauguration. As an African-American gay man, I feel personally wounded that the President-elect would deem it acceptable to give such an honorable position to someone who would be an opponent to the civil rights of any group in our society. I am aware that the President-elect does not support gay marriage. I respectfully disagree with him on his view on the matter and choose to believe that his opposition is not grounded in misguided bigotry about the place of gays and lesbians in our society. The same belief cannot be extended to Pastor Warren. His equating permitting gay unions to legalizing pedophilia indicates a sadly uninformed view of the GLBT community and, for all his purported tolerance, ultimately a denial of our basic shared humanity. What I do hope is that someday the President-elect will recognize that this issue has deep resonance in the GLBT community and that choices like this one seem to indicate a trivialization on his part of not only this matter but really of our entire movement toward equality.
I had originally intended to take the day of Inauguration off to enjoy the day's events on television. I will not be doing so at this point. Though I am still pleased with the election of Mr. Obama, I no longer feel the same sense of celebration that I once did about the inaugural event itself. Perhaps it is contemplating the Warren selection on the same day that I wake to hear on my local NPR station that my own country has refused to sign a UN resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality that has me in such a dour mood.
I recognize that the President-elect's selection is intended to display some sign of inclusion of diverse opinions. I just find it interesting that he chose to recognize to include someone whose discriminatory viewpoints do not impact him directly. Where, for example, is the prominent placement of an avowed segregationist who opposes equal inclusion of people of color in our society? I recognize that denigration of people by race is no longer in vogue as is still the case with those of us in the GLBT community, but I'm sure if the transition had searched a little harder you could have found someone.
In closing, I would not presume to tell the President-elect who he can have perform the invocation at his inauguration, and therefore, am not requesting a rescinding of the invitation to Pastor Warren as I'm sure others have. I merely wish to share that how the decision has affected me personally. My prayers will continue to be for the President's every success in fulfilling the responsibilities of his office. Thank you for your attention to my correspondence.
Sincerely,
Clarus65
I am writing, as I am sure so many others have probably done so before me, to express my deep disappointment in the selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at President Obama's inauguration. As an African-American gay man, I feel personally wounded that the President-elect would deem it acceptable to give such an honorable position to someone who would be an opponent to the civil rights of any group in our society. I am aware that the President-elect does not support gay marriage. I respectfully disagree with him on his view on the matter and choose to believe that his opposition is not grounded in misguided bigotry about the place of gays and lesbians in our society. The same belief cannot be extended to Pastor Warren. His equating permitting gay unions to legalizing pedophilia indicates a sadly uninformed view of the GLBT community and, for all his purported tolerance, ultimately a denial of our basic shared humanity. What I do hope is that someday the President-elect will recognize that this issue has deep resonance in the GLBT community and that choices like this one seem to indicate a trivialization on his part of not only this matter but really of our entire movement toward equality.
I had originally intended to take the day of Inauguration off to enjoy the day's events on television. I will not be doing so at this point. Though I am still pleased with the election of Mr. Obama, I no longer feel the same sense of celebration that I once did about the inaugural event itself. Perhaps it is contemplating the Warren selection on the same day that I wake to hear on my local NPR station that my own country has refused to sign a UN resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality that has me in such a dour mood.
I recognize that the President-elect's selection is intended to display some sign of inclusion of diverse opinions. I just find it interesting that he chose to recognize to include someone whose discriminatory viewpoints do not impact him directly. Where, for example, is the prominent placement of an avowed segregationist who opposes equal inclusion of people of color in our society? I recognize that denigration of people by race is no longer in vogue as is still the case with those of us in the GLBT community, but I'm sure if the transition had searched a little harder you could have found someone.
In closing, I would not presume to tell the President-elect who he can have perform the invocation at his inauguration, and therefore, am not requesting a rescinding of the invitation to Pastor Warren as I'm sure others have. I merely wish to share that how the decision has affected me personally. My prayers will continue to be for the President's every success in fulfilling the responsibilities of his office. Thank you for your attention to my correspondence.
Sincerely,
Clarus65
3 comments:
Well my comments are not really relevant to this one either but with some respect to religion, I will put my comments here.
This relates to the past and just as you have surfaced again from a long hiatus (a few months ago) as a blogger, I found you again after wondering for a long time what had happened to you.
I am the Anonymous who wrote the long comments on you blogs relating to that reality show 2nd place contestant. (Please don't run away because if you will remember I am a "friendly").
Some of us were talking about missing you on one of those blogs devoted to debunking the deception of that reality show contestant and I linked to a link and found that you had recently began blogging again, and have made quite a few changes in your life.
If you will remember I wrote this on the occasion of the release of one of his CDs:
Clarus,
I feel somewhat silly posting replies to F--- on this, your original, blog. Do you read your email? I would rather send my comments more directly, if you do.
Anyways, you know that I agree with your "nuianced out" thoughts because that is part of what I was trying to say in my last comment to you.
By many reports, --- is living as a gay man and the public, for the most part, believe that he is gay. It has obvoiously taken a while for him to get to this
point, if indeed, as JP says, he has come out to family, friends and coworkers.
You may call it rationalization, but I cannot decouple his coming to terms with being gay, however, from some of the flaws of character you have alluded to.
Just as you have discussed your struggles and denial, perhaps, as a public figure, it has been an even more acute problem for ---. You probably recognize the denial and double-life living that apparently goes on among prominent and not so prominent gay folk everyday. To some extent all oppressed minorities have adopted deception and obfuscation as survival mechanisms. I don't need to tell you that members of black churches in times of slavery often hid organizing efforts behind Sunday services and sung spirituals that had hidden meanings to guide slaves on their way to freedom.
I am going to be an arm-chair pychologist and say that, perhaps, deceptive behavior in one area of life may spill over into other areas. I think that
behavior developed for survival could become so internalized and honned over many years, that it could become habbitual. Of course,I am not saying that this is universally true, just possible in this case.
Removing the need to lie to the public about his sexuality by coming out, and with work, removing the self-hatred that, no doubt accompanies the lying, may free ____ from the need to be deceptive in other areas of his life, at least to some extent. One can only hope.
*******
and
You:
[q]So just has his promiscuous, closeted dysfunctional sexual activities have reinforced the worst stereotypes about gay men, his potential failure on this next CD will be used by homophobic music industry execs as further evidence that gay does not pay. Then Simon can continue to berate contestants with his code of being "too Broadway" or telling them they should perform in drag. Clive and all the other boys at RCA (even the gay ones) can continue to disuade gay artists from being open and honest about who they are because it might not be in their best interest career wise.
And what could the motivation possibly be for F--- coming out at this point? A desire to live his life openly and honestly? Though I'm sure, if such a revelation did occur, this would be the stated reason in his carefully crafted, tearful confession, I'm doubtful. More likely it's an attempt to ride the Lance Bass sympathy wave that the former N'Syncer has engendered for his own recent admission.[/q]
Good to see another blog. Normally I would agree but in this instance I am taking issue with you. You seem to be echoing a familiar refrain where ever a member of a minority group messes up like this: "X really set us back 25 years" or from thoses on the outside, "x has certainly not been a credit to his race". It happened when Jason Blair of the NY Times was the subject of accusations of fakery and plagerism (to a larger and more damaging extent than Aiken). I am sure that the Blair incident caused some to rethink encouraging strong efforts to make the newsroom look like America. However,I think that we are approaching the point with regards to gay America, just as we did with black America. that, sadly, we have to give everbody a chance to mess up and make their own mistakes as individuals and then see what happens next.
Just as the Huxtables and Julia (way before that) have given way to every manner and variety of African-American images in the media including the fall from grace of the icon Bill Cosby, himself, there are many more pictures of and varieties of gay and lesbian presence in popular culture besides (for males) the fastidious, the flayboyant, the fem and the promiscuous.
To an even greater extent that for ethinic communities, I believe that the majority in this society have a lot to learn from these failures. I think many more folka than you belive will focus on the reasons why ____ felt he had to hide his homosexuality to make a buck, in addition to the fact that what he has done. in your mind,may result in failure and confirmation of preconceived ideas. This whole incident has brought the issue to the forefront, and for many, but certainly not everyone, it has called attention to the utter travesty that the situations has become.
At some point minority communities have to get beyond the fear that each mistake will make the entire group scorned and hated, and focus on the broader lesson that can be learned within and outside of the referenced group upon whom the conduct supposedly reflects.
I think that we are approaching a tipping point, not withstanding religious conservatives, that the majority will see and understand there is diversity of goodness and badness within the gay community and won't let the sins of one group member negate all of the positive images of gay folks.
Finally' with regard to the posssible manipulation in the timing of a rumored "coming out" interview/announcement, I agree that the timing is suspect and possibly calculated to get the greatest bang for the buck, but I think the finger of blame is pointed at the wrong person. Aiken may have done lots wrong, but he is certainly far from the top in this relationship. You have to place more that 50% of the responsibility for these business decisions with his record company without whom ___ would be sining in the shower. Clarus, you have to give equal time at least to the way business is done in the industry and the fear of their own shadows which is taking place in the recording and motion picture industries. ___ is, at best, a tool. I am not an apoligist for ____y. I just don't think that he has the power to be David against the Goliath RCA(Clive)with or without a sling shot. Please give at least equal time to talking about the industry's lack of backbone and mercenary dealings.
You:Thanks for your comments and I agree. In fact the basic premise of this post is not how society will view this but how music execs will react to F--- failure, hence the following sentences above:
No, I think in an industry that is quick to reduce things to simple and often dated rationalizations the conclusion will be as follows, "See once his holy roller fans found out that he was gay, they deserted him in droves." And the lesson to be learned they will surmise is that it doesn't pay for gay artists to be openly gay.
Perhaps in the construct of my blog entry I should have re-emphasized this point at the end as well as stating it at the beginning. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and giving me the opportunity to clarify
Fri Sep 01, 05:29:00 AM 2006
clarus65 said...
Here's another post from our anonymous poster:
I did go back and reread your blog before sending my response and thought about what you had said up-front, but the point I was trying to make was that the industry has so much more power than__________ so that any choices he might (apparently)have made as an individual were strongly influenced by the industry and are made in the context of navagating that industry construct. Granted _____ is(or was) an ambitious SOB, but I think he was pumped up and leached upon by equally craven managers and attorneys. I'm guessing it was a synergy of everybody trying to ride the wave without completely understanding who exactly it was they were puting all of their trust in - a sort of perfect Hurricane Katrina.
I am somewhat more upbeat than you are about the conclusion the industry would draw from a failure of ____'s CD. I think that although it has been rather reluctant to be out in front of where they think the public is on young gay artists, some things have happened recently to push the envelope a bit. Lance Bass' coming out was one of those things. Yes,I think that they would take into consideration the demographic ___ was going after and chalk it up to bad choices. I also think the real reason that ____ would fall so flat is that nobody likes his a$$ which might cynically and publicly be attributed to lack of support for an openly gay artist. But believe it or not, I think ___ himself has pushed acceptance of young gay artists forward notwithstanding his potential failure.___ has sparked a lot of thought and debate that would not otherwise have happened between and among people who would have never seriously given a thougt to supporting an openly gay artist. Many of these folks are not going to run away from him screaming "GAY" if and when they know he really is openly gay, whether or not he is formally presented to society.
Funny, I really am on the edge of my chair wondering what will happen next. I want to see ___ get his a$$ whooped real good, but I also want him to come out of this talking about the "lessons" he has learned and mean it. I don't even know if that is possible, but it would be nice.
--------
I am wondering what you are thinking now. If you have any reflections since that time that you may care to share, in general terms, of course (you will notice I used "----" to avoid creating any searchable terms) upon the coming out of said individual.
Wow now here's a blast from the past. Thanks for finding my blog. Though slightly different in tone, I think it may still be somewhat interesting (that is whenever I do actually get around to writing something).
Now to your question. I'm not sure if my perspectives have changed that much. I think distance from the matter makes me feel less invested in the eventual outcome. I am happy for that person that he can live his life openly and honestly (it seems that I read somewhere that he even has a boyfriend now). I felt for those people who had so ardently supported him who were devastated by the news. I don't know what's happening with all of that now because I haven't followed the matter since the initial announcement. I think that about covers it. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll come back again.
Thank for remembering and for your comments.
Yes, I will return. There are so many things I would enjoy discussing with you, if you have the time.
I have some thoughts about Prop 8 and the Obama election that I would like to share and how that vote will be a harbinger of his first term re gay rights.
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