Rick Warren. Yes, I said it. Now, what to do?
It really doesn't matter where you fall in the B. Obama/R. Warren dust up. Either Obama royally screwed up (doing so recklessly) by asking Warren to deliver the invocation delivering a slap to his GLBT supporters in the process, or Obama asked Warren to deliver the invocation for strategic political reasons delivering a slap to the his GLBT supporters in the process. Whether either was intentional, both the insult and the strategic opportunity are there.
Let's do something with that, shall we? We have to make it extremely uncomfortable for Obama to be estranged from the Pro-Equality community.
Some more thoughts below the fold.....
Just for the record. I tend to believe that Obama picked Warren for all sorts of strategic reasons. But here is the opportunity: in picking Warren, Obama delivered an insult to the GLBT activists who helped get him elected. This insult was probably designed, if it was designed, to make Obama seem more acceptable to the evangelical community and to separate him from explicit support for the GLBT equality movement.
Having opened the door to the evangelical community, it is now incumbent upon Obama to deliver upon the economic change/economic justice promises that he's making to draw the evangelicals into a big tent governing coalition, even mandate.
Once Obama has delivered the economic program, or even once it becomes clear that he will, then he HAS to deliver on equality issues.
Our part, to force his hand, is to make it extremely uncomfortable for Obama to be estranged from his GLBT and equality minded backers. Doing so will make him seem more acceptable to the evangelicals for economic purposes, AND when the time eventually comes to deliver upon the demands for GLBT equality Obama can point toward the Pro-Equality activists and say "Look, these people are MAKING me do this."
Is this fun? No. Is it right? No. Is it painful? Hell, yes.
What I want everyone to do is remain fully engaged in the political process. Scream bloody murder. Give to Pro-Equality organizations so they can scream bloody murder. Drag your friends out to dinner and force them to listen to you explain why Pro-Equality legislation is THE most important issue on the table, anywhere, anytime. Personalize. Proselytize. Organize. BUT DON'T BE QUIET.
Write your congress critter. Donate and work for equality minded candidates. Write Op-Ed pieces to your local paper complaing about the politics of exclusion. Bear witness to how hate based legislation can ruin and destroy lives. BE OUT if you're GLBT. Speak at school board meetings on behalf of your kids. REFUSE to be treated like a second class citizen. If you're straight, make the case for equality to all your friends, and explain why stupid exclusionary policies have to go.
Again. Be active. Be engaged. Be LOUD. Let's force Obama's hand on this one. We're so close to victory, now is not the time to slack off!
On the federal level, this is what I think we reasaonably have to gain during the first term of the Obama administration: Repeal of DOMA and DADT. Passage of an inclusive ENDA. Passage of an inclusive Hate Crimes Act. Passage of fair treatment for married partners under the Tax Code. Same Sex partner Health benefits. And at least three brand spanking new liberal Supreme Court Justices.
On the state level, will be fighting for Marriage, the right to act as foster and adoptive parents, partner benefits, medical decision making rights, inheritance rights, the right to be safe in schools, and treated equally in workplaces, easing the burden on people changing their gender markers on their state ID's. You get the idea. We'll be busy at the state level, too.
Now, get off your ass and do something!