Obama should have the US sign UN statement endorsing universal decriminalization of homosexuality

[IndianaGreen]

Gay rights supporters should protest Obama's choice of antigay minister Rick Warren to deliver inaugural prayer, say Greens

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Obama should have the US sign UN statement endorsing universal decriminalization of homosexuality

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party activists challenged gay voters and advocates of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights to protest President-elect Barack Obama's invitation to Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation.

"Unless we make our anger known now, Mr. Obama will continue to betray gay people," said Starlene Rankin, co-chair of the party's Lavender Green Caucus (http://www.lavendergreens.us). "Barack Obama's claim to be a 'fierce advocate for equality' is not credible when he chooses a pastor notorious for his ill-informed and slanderous opinions about homosexuality and vigorous support for Proposition 8."

"The invitation signals that Mr. Obama may repeat the Clinton approach to gay rights. President Clinton, taking gay votes for granted, signed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act into law and authorized the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' military policy. We've had generations of gay rights advocates and other progressives insisting that we need to elect Democrats, then we'll push them towards pro-gay agenda. Instead, gay people have remained second-class citizens in the Democratic Party and told to hush up when they're politically inconvenient. For those tired of bipartisan retreats from promises of human rights and justice, the Green Party remains the party of real change in America," added Ms. Rankin.

The Green Party's national platform asserts that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans deserve all the rights, including marriage and the ability to raise a family, that all other Americans enjoy (http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/socjustice.html#999082). Greens strongly opposed Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage in California.

Mr. Obama has said he opposed the passage of Propositon 8, but he also opposes full same-sex marriage rights, a position inconsistent with support for full and equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=159

[LostinVA]

1. K&R

[Hissyspit]

2. Yes.

Unequivocal.

[bluedawg12]

3. K&R We just need to get our cajones out of hock, and stand up

to the feeble, cornered and viscious right wing.

[Ken Burch]

4. Kicked and proudly providing the FIFTH rec!

Time to do what's right.

[ThomCat]

5. It is too bad that there can never be a viable third party

in our system. It would be very nice if the Green party could get some traction.

[yardwork]

6. Good for the Green Party.

[silverojo]

7. And WHEN Obama signs this

(As anyone thinking clearly KNOWS he will)

Will you guys finally leave him the fuck alone at that point?

And by "you guys", I'm not referring to "gays", I'm referring to all people who have been pissing and moaning about everything Obama's done, from the moment he was elected.

[Starry Messenger]

8. Here's a thread that might be more to your taste:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8049268

[meegbear]

9. So the people who are complaining about Warren ...

are the same people who have been complaining about everything Obama does?

So the people who complained about choosing Clinton for SoS are the same people who are against Warren?

[TechBear_Seattle]

42. Yes, they all belong to a single group of people

"Heretics who must be destroyed at any cost."

[MNBrewer]

11. No

There's more to our "agenda" than this

[Raster]

15. I can speak for no one but myself, but NO I will not "finally leave him the fuck alone..."

Eternal vigilance is the price we pay for our freedom and the best example of consequences of not exercising eternal vigilance can be found in Obama's predecessor.

And as for "you guys" and not referring to "gays": bullshit. In short, no, I will NOT sit down and shut the fuck up.

Happy New Year!

[Bluenorthwest]

16. You guys suck

And when I say 'you guys' I'm not referencing the ignorant or the simpleminded, just those who characterize and generalize and lump people together according to 'differences' of opinion and being.
Let me tell this. All any of us has is our own self. No one has Obama but Obama. No one has the past but the historians, no one knows the future you claim to know, no one has anything but their own individual being. In this moment. And that goes for you too. How you interact is just that, how you interact. Vulgar and demanding language, assumptions, and a list of complaints for a group of people whom you describe, but can not quote, can not name. "Those people who...blah blah blah" serves nothing but your desire for control, which you will never ever have.
And that speaks only of you. Not Obama. Not the Party. You. Own your words, for they are with you forever.

[MNBrewer]

17. "You guys suck"

Well, I know that I do! And quite well, actually.

See post #12 below.

[NWHarkness]

36. Do you support the criminalization of homosexuality?

Or were you just picking a random thread to bitch in?

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

21. no- apparenly Obama can never do enough

:sarcasm:

[stillwaiting]

22. "Leave him the fuck alone?"

Damn. Obama has asked us as Americans to provide him with our opinions and voices. He has even requested we make our dissent known with him whenever we feel it. Those that dissent from Obama will not be called "traitors" or "terrorist sympathizers" by this administration (I truly believe), and that is such a nice change from the past nightmarish years.

PE Obama can handle dissent, and there will always be dissent as long as there is injustice.

I will celebrate his actions when deserved, and will not leave him the fuck alone when I disagree because I am an American.

[MNBrewer]

23. LEAVE BRITTANY ALONE!!!

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc>

[bluedawg12]

24. Leave the STATUS QUO ALONE! don't rock the boat.

So I'd like to know where, you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where, you got the notion
To rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat, don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat

Up to now we sailed through every storm
And I've always had your campaign words to keep me warm
Oh I need to have the strength that flows from you
don't let me drift away my dear, when equality can see me through
Our quest is like a ship on the ocean
We've been sailing with a cargo full of, hope and social revolution

So I'd like to know where, you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where, you got the notion
To rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat, don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat

[QC]

35. Remix!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FAuJod1XmY

[IndianaGreen]

26. The harping at Obama began after the Rick Warren invite to Inaugural

Obama has yet to admit he made a mistake and take corrective action, a troubling personality trait that we have seen in the current occupant of the White House.

[Lyric]

29. Not a chance.

When he fucks up, I'll be calling him on it. When he does something right, I'll be right there to hand out praise.

[mitchtv]

33. NO, some action might be ( signing shit is not enough)

and not anti gay shit like he's been pulling. when I see action on DADT, DOMA, and. ENDA I might consider cooling it. If he plays "Sista Soulja" with the gays one more time. I will never believe him

[NWHarkness]

34. Hello, no, he works for me n/t

[t0dd]

39. silverojo is the political Chris Crocker!

How fucking dare anyone out there make fun of Obama after all he has been through!

Leave Barack Obama alone!…right now! I mean it!

Anyone that has a problem with him you deal with me!

LEAVE OBAMA ALONE!

[LeftyMom]

40. Fuck no. He's entirely capable of doing the right thing more than once.

Though it looks like he's going to have to be shamed, led around by the nose and generally pushed into it. As I kinda suspected, he's Bill Clinton all over again. *sigh*

[TechBear_Seattle]

43. Couldn't have said it better myself

:toast:

[Bluebear]

41. Waaah

[xchrom]

10. should? yes. we'll see if there's change we can belive in. nt

[MNBrewer]

12. True.

we don't "KNOW" anything about what his administration will do.

[machI]

13. Kicked and Recommended

[JohnnieGordon]

14. The "fierce advocate" should also say: "I loved "Milk", everyone should go see it"

Why not, it's a great movie with an important message. With his wild popularity, he could help it get seen by a much wider audience.

[IndianaGreen]

25. And like Milk's outreach to Dan White, Obama does same to Rick Warren

with the same miserable failure as a result. Warren will not shoot Obama, but he will certainly turn on him, just as he did after the Obama/McCain Saddleback appearance. Have you all forgotten how Warren's video of Obama responding with the "that's not in my job description" to a question of when life begins, became a GOP campaign ad?

[bluedawg12]

27. Realpolitik will come crashing down soon- the repigs vow not to work with him.

They plan on asking for more study, committees and to obstruct him on nearly every issue and they have already said so.

You can't dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.

[MNBrewer]

28. That reminds me of another phrase

"You dance with who brung ya"

Obama didn't get to office with the aid of the likes of Warren. It was with the likes if US. Now we're left standing along the wall while Warren gets the first dance.

[bluedawg12]

30. Exactly! He will not get support from the right when he needs it- it will be TEH gays

who will be expected to stand with him for the next four years, while the right undermines him.

[JohnnieGordon]

38. I'm curious about something

It seems like your post is directed to someone who you think defends Obama's decision to have Warren do the invocation. Do you think I'm a straight Obama fanatic trolling the gay forum to be antagonistic? Because that's completely the opposite of who I am. I'm gay and I've been in a lot of the Warren threads being sharply critical of Warren's selection. I just wanted to make that clear because this is one of a few replies I've gotten recently that seem to misconstrue who I am.

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

18. calling it a "progay" agenda feeds into the right wing mentality-it's pro equality

[Duppers]

19. Yes, yes, yes!

nt

[RetiredTrotskyite]

20. K&R n/t

[Jamastiene]

31. Amazing! There is a party that will stand up for us. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

32. Communist Party of Indiana CPUSA also criticized the Obama selection of Warren

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Rick Warren and Same-Sex Marriage

As many already know, President-elect Obama has selected Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and evangelical pastor of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, to give the invocation at the Presidential Inauguration next month.

Rick Warren has compared abortion to the Holocaust, teaches that women must be under male authority including forbidding female employees of his church from supervising men. equates homosexuality to pedophilia and incest, and is a creationist believing that evolution did not occur. At one point, the Saddleback Church's web site stated: "someone unwilling to repent of their homosexual lifestyle would not be accepted at a member at Saddleback." http://www.americablog.com/2008/12/rick-warren-pulls-anti-gay-language.html

On the question of same sex marriage, Rich Warren has said:

"The issue to me is... I'm opposed to redefinition of a 5,000 year definition of marriage. I'm opposed to having a brother and sister being together and calling that marriage. I'm opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that marriage. I'm opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage." http://politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/7900/

There have been a variety of definitions of marriage over the last 5,000 years depending on religion, time, and community. There are instances in the Bible of "one guy having multiple wives" in marriage. The definition of marriage for which Rick Warren claims 5,000 years of precedence and for which he claims universality is but one of many definitions for that institution in that time. In fact, the implication of the universality of the christian experience, that the christian experience should be definitive in a legal sense in this country, denies the wide variety of religions, experiences, and communities that live in this nation, which is built on a foundation of the separation of church and state. In the United States, people who commit to building a life together should be supported and celebrated in our society, regardless of sexual orientation, race, ethnic background, or religion.

We support the President-elect in working to bridge the divides of the culture wars and unify a country tired of a political discussion that too often hides underlying political interests and struggles behind a cultural facade. This particular choice, however, puts a representative of the most backward, inhuman, exclusionary, and retrograde thinking front and center in an event at which the President-elect would not be the keynote speaker except for the inclusive and humanistic efforts of many millions of people. Rick Warren actively works to organize thousands and actively educate many more to condemn that which they don't understand, and to stand against the most basic understandings of the humanistic trends in this country out of which any effective solutions to this nation's social and economic challenges will arise. The ideas that Rick Warren champions are odious to those who believe in diversity of human experience, that science is a valid methodology for discovery and for expanding human understanding, and who struggle for progress in meeting social challenges.

The Indiana District of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA)

-- stands against those aspects of Rick Warren's teachings which equate sin with sexual orientation, assert divine revelation over rational evaluation, or attack the humanistic and inclusive joining together of all people to advance the needs of working families in this country

-- fully supports the rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, to join in marriage with the partner of their choosing, with full access to all services that marriage implies and legally mandates, all protections under the law that marriage offers, and the social recognition and support that a public declaration of love and commitment demands.

-- rejects attempts to create artificial barriers between communities by distinguishing between those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. All people have the right to partner with the person of their choosing, to marry, and to have all the services and protections available to anyone married accorded to them.

-- supports according equality under the law to same sex partners in the areas of child custody, adoption, and providing foster care.

-- supports the right of all people to have their health needs met regardless of sexual orientation or ability to pay, including the health needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered. The general health needs of all women must also be protected and expanded, including access to abortion services, contraception, and any other health-related service without regard to age, sexual orientation, or ability to pay.

-- protests the selection of Rick Warren to offer the invocation at the presidential inauguration, while celebrating the selection of Reverent Lowery to provide the benediction.

We unequivocally support the struggle in the State of Indiana and nationally to make same-sex marriage legal, without any limitations or prejudice under the law.

http://indianacp.blogspot.com/2008/12/rick-warren-and-same-sex-marriage.html

[donco6]

37. Frankly, I don't have a lot of confidence that he will.

I mean, if it's RW goodwill he's seeking, he can get it by the bushelful with this. And the Catholics are already against it, so two birds with one stone there.

[Deep13]

44. Of course.

The idea that a national leader like the president of Iran can say there are no gay people in his country with a straight face and in public shows that we have a long, long way to go.