When Obama chose Rick Warren, the popular evangelical minister who's made ridiculous and offensive remarks regarding homosexuality in the past, to perform the invocation at his Inauguration the outcry was quite amplified. Many called on Obama to uninvite Warren because of his open hostility to the LGBT community. Many thought, how could Obama, the great agent for change, snub the LGBT community this way just after the passage of California's Proposition 8 that attempts to ban gay marriage?
Well, today word comes that Obama has invited the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson to offer a prayer at an Inauguration event at the Lincoln Memorial. This after Robinson previously said:
The choice of Warren was like a slap in the face.
Today, Robinson said:
He doesn't believe Obama invited him in response to the Warren criticism but said his inclusion won't go unnoticed by the gay and lesbian community."It's important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way," Robinson told the newspaper for a story in Monday's editions. "Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority, or in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters."
This move does not come as too much of a surprise. In an earlier post I suggested:
In the spirit of Milk and Obama’s candidacy, I urge Obama to include a gay minister in his Inauguration, a move that would truly begin healing the divide the Warren choice was intended to accomplish in the first place.
Obama's move today is significant in several respects. First, it underscores the new politics Obama is ushering into Washington. While he may have stumbled with his Warren pick, he's following through on his desire to heal divisions by balancing the Warren choice with the Robinson announcement.
Second, his choice of the Lincoln Memorial as the site of Robinson's prayer symbolizes how much the decision means to him. We know Lincoln is Obama's most admired President and who he primarily looks to for inspiration as he confronts challenges similar to those faced by the Civil War President. In fact, just over the weekend, one of his first in Washington since returning as President-Elect, Obama took his family to the Memorial for a visit.
Finally, having our President virtually shut off from the public and its opinions for eight years, one gets the sense the tide is turning. On the face of it, the Robinson announcement shows Obama listened to the outcry by responding in a way that acknowledges the LGBT community and its supporters' concerns but does not alienate Warren and his backers.
Indeed, on the Warren issue, Obama appears to have listened.
Update:
I added "Appears to" in the post's title as it's disputed 1) when the decision to include Robinson was made; and 2) that Obama's inclusion of Robinson is a response to the Warren backlash. Regardless, it's a wise decision IMHO.