Gay Pastor Invited By Obama to Open Gospel Concert Is White

[ruggerson]

I have no comment, I'll leave it to African-American bloggers like Keith Boykin:

"This move is sure to piss off almost everybody, except HRC , who apparently brokered the deal. Obama won't win any new black votes by getting a white gay guy to speak at a black event. Especially when there are plenty of black straight people, black gay people, families of black gay people, and friends of black gay people who could have been chosen to speak.

I have been following the reaction in the black gay community, and many but not all of the commenters are outraged by the decision. It was bad enough that McClurkin was invited in the first place, but it only adds insult to injury to ignore the longstanding concerns of the black gay community by not talking to people in the black gay community themselves. And if someone had to be invited, why not invite someone in the black gay community? Or why not invite a black mother of a gay or lesbian child? Or a local black pastor who supports the full inclusion of gays and lesbians?"

And Alvin McEwen, of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, who has been doing a great job tracking, and battling, the religious right:

"Obama's clumsy invitation to Pastor Sidden only perpetuates the myth that being black and being gay are two separate identities that don't overlap.

Furthermore, it means that folks like myself (lgbts of color) are once again shown how invisible we are.

No. More than that.

We have been given the hook, pushed to the side, had the trapdoor to the alligator pit released under our feet.

LGBTs of color haven't been just pushed to the back of the bus in this controversy. We have been kicked off of the bus and told to find our own way home."

http://www.americablog.com/">MUCH MORE

[sniffa]

1. are you sure he's not just an ex-heterosexuaL

[jefferson_dem]

2. What the hell? Who gives a fuck if a pastor scheduled to speak is white?

This is getting pretty fucking ridiculous.

[Chovexani]

14. The black GLBT community Obama has ignored gives a fuck

Obama had a golden opportunity to reach out to us--to really build a bridge and put some meat behind this bringing people together rhetoric he espouses--and he blew it. Some of this is our own fault (where the hell are the black GLBT groups on this?) but I think it speaks volumes that the only GLBT Obama has around him are white HRC'ers. Jasmine Cannick, who I don't always agree with, made the point well on her blog:

First of all, let’s address the issue of having a white gay pastor at a campaign event that’s geared towards religious African-Americans. Here we have a perfect opportunity for African-Americans to internally address the issue of homophobia with an African-American presidential candidate and instead of inviting a Black openly gay pastor, they invite a white man. Um, are we trying to see a repeat of 2004? Because if that’s the goal, we sure are headed down the right track. And in the end, in my opinion it’s Black gays who have the most to lose from this happening as there’s already a general consensus that gay is synonymous with white. All this will do is further that notion and drive it home undoing all of the work that Black lesbians and gays have done over the past decade within their communities.

http://www.jasmynecannick.typepad.com/

There are quite a few black openly GLBT pastors Obama could have invited, had his advisors had a teaspoonful of sense (as my Grandma used to put it). The more this goes on the harder time I'm having defending Obama's actions. He really needs to get some better people advising him.

And before anyone cries reverse racism, please understand that most black folks, particularly homophobic southern black folks, would really rather not be lectured to about equality by a white man. And that's exactly how this would be perceived. This is an issue that needs to be addressed within our own community and the healing can only start from the inside.

[bicentennial_baby]

17. I wish I could recommend this post!!!

I heart you!!! :loveya:

and, :applause:

[ruggerson]

21. me too

n/t

[Chovexani]

22. Thanks

Sometimes it feels like I'm beating my head against a wall but I'll keep on anyway. :hug:

[bicentennial_baby]

27. Please do!

Your GLBT brothers and sisters, regardless of color or candidate, are with you!!

And that's not just lip service sweetie :hug:

:loveya:

[jefferson_dem]

29. I appreciate your perspective.

Thanks for sharing it. :hi:

[Chovexani]

39. Sure.

I LIKE Obama, I really do. I'm a Kucinich supporter but I'd have no qualms voting for Obama if he were the nominee. I just hope he can learn from this.

[Karenina]

3. . .

:popcorn:

Reverend Irene Monroe weighs in...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x316638

[Ethelk2044]

4. They will not be upset at Obama.

Obama will have more than one speaker there. It will be inclusive. It is a stupid post.

[Clintonista2]

6. "It is a stupid post"

Wow, thats the EXACT thought that goes through my head every time I read one of your posts.

[ShortnFiery]

8. Agreed. It was a flame-fest wannabe - the hand book for tactics is from Machiavelli.

What trash! You can't find any more despicable ways to do a nasty "whisper campaign?"

Psst! Rove's taking notes and Penn is enjoying this fetid show. :puke: :nuke: :thumbsdown:

[ruggerson]

10. That's right, discount what many gay, black people are feeling about this

after all, your insight into this particular issue is so much more valuable than theirs.

[ShortnFiery]

11. Hyperbole, you learn well from the Rovaian Handbook of bottom-feeder tactics.

Please, cease with the disingenuous outrage for your "win at all costs" slip is showing? :eyes:

[ruggerson]

12. Yeah, yeah, "Rove rove rove"

you have nothing substantive to say, largely, because your point is indefensible. Hence all the strawmen.

[ShortnFiery]

13. What's indefensible is your shameless hyperbole as well as the bold type.

Shameless "whisper campaign" that amounts to nothing ... in the smallest hope that you can fire-up some gay African Americans. Well sorry, that's a real stretch ... and also smarmy tactics beyond belief.

But what can I say, you'll do anything to win. But if/when you get "on the top," you're morally "on the bottom." How very sad. :(

[ruggerson]

16. "my shameless hyperbole"

These are not my words. These are the words of African American gay people. Apparently reading comprehension is not your friend. Read the link, I didn't write any of it.

You really need to slow that engine down.

[ShortnFiery]

18. Words that YOU make bold as well as start several other "hate Obama" threads.

Yes, you can't hide that agenda that's glaringly clear by merely perusing your threads. In other words, it doesn't take "a genius" to discern that you are personally doing your very best to smear Obama's character with all these smarmy threads posted by .... YOU. :shrug:

[Chovexani]

26. Would it help if I pointed out

That I am black, GLBT, am neutral on Obama (I'm for Kucinich), and I agree with the OP?

I know it's easier for the Obama diehards to dismiss all this as just shit-stirring by Clinton diehards than to acknowledge the deep, underlying hornet's nest Obama stepped into, but that's really not the case, here. Are some pushing this story to discredit the man and his candidacy? No doubt. But that's not all there is to this. Most of the outrage I'm seeing in the black blogosphere, particularly the black GLBT blogosphere is from Obama supporters.

[ruggerson]

31. But, you see, we BOTH work for Rove

btw, how much does he pay you, cause if it's more than me, I'm gonna raise hell.

[Chovexani]

37. Rove bought me a Rolls Royce

And took me to the Olive Garden!

:yoiks:

[ruggerson]

40. Ok, NOW I'm pissed

n/t

[wndycty]

23. Are you Black or just a spokesman telling them the gay Black people they should be outraged. . .

. . .you know us Black folks don't know what to do if white folks don't tell us what to do.

[ruggerson]

32. Oh, I'm not allowed to report what many gay, black people are writing about this?

Is there some kind of censorship rule I'm unaware of?

[wndycty]

35. No censorship, just pointing out the irony of a Clinton supporter stirring this so much. . .

. . .telling us naive Black folk how to think.

[ruggerson]

36. Um, while I have vociferously defended Senator Clinton from gratuitous bashing

and will do so in the future, she does not have my vote in the primary.

Any more strawmen you would like to toss out there?

[Ethelk2044]

24. I am black. I do not feel Blacks will be upset.

[ruggerson]

33. The people quoted in the OP are also black, they don't agree with you

n/t

[DemFemme]

5. I get it. Reverse racism is okay but not homophobia. n/t

:sarcasm:

[midlife_mo_Jo]

9. Crap.

I would think a gay Christian pastor (of any color) has more credibility to discuss the issue with Christians than somebody's momma or the head of some non religious organization.

But apparently that line of thinking is illogical since he's not black. Are all blacks as one dimensional as this writer makes them appear?

Not in my experience, but I go to an inclusive church where blacks love our white minister.

[Chovexani]

20. This is not about "reverse racism"

And I swear to fuck if I read that right-wing term on this site one more time I'm going to go postal.

This is about the black GLBT community being marginalized, again. This is about Obama having the opportunity to actually act on what he preaches about inclusiveness. As a matter of fact, it's about Obama being royally fucking stupid (or, more likely, his advisors being royally fucking stupid). I'm not a pollster or a political science major, I'm just a loudmouth queer with a GED, but I've known enough black folks in my 26 years to know that the number one way to raise the hackles of the religious set is white gays hitching their wagons to the civil rights movement. Personally, I think it's the same damn movement (and I'm not alone, look at Coretta and hell even the Black Panthers felt this way, way ahead of everyone), but it's a sore point for many and Obama ought to know this. If his people were smart they'd have invited any number of the openly GLBT black pastors to come challenge these folks. Black opinion is not monolithic, even in the religious community. This would have been the perfect opportunity to show that, but now we're going to resort to the tired old canards that say gay is a white man thing and all black people are homophobes.

I'm not trying to bash Obama, I like him even though I'm a Kucinich supporter and I will support whomever eventually becomes the nominee. I'm just really, really disappointed in how he's handling this whole mess.

But god forbid anyone listen to anything a person of color says on DU that might just question the prevailing (read: white) wisdom on POC issues, or you know, attempt to have an honest dialogue on race.

[DemFemme]

28. Have you ever thought that maybe no openly gay black minister volunteered to perform?

I used the term because it fits the pro-Hillary "politics as usual" OP's intention. Sorry if my sarcasm
upset you. I appreciate the wisdom of your comments.

[ruggerson]

34. You're mistaken about my intention

so now you're intellectually dishonest as WELL as being wrong.

Care to try for strike three?

[DemFemme]

41. Yeah, sure.

Why don't you post ten threads slamming Hillary's Homophobes and I'll believe you.

[ruggerson]

42. I've expressed myself very clearly on Clinton's ties with bigots

but that's yet another strawman. What we're talking about is how Obama is handling THIS situation.

[DemFemme]

45. Have many threads have you started on it? *crickets*

As for how Obama's handling it, your motives for pimping the issue are DU Hillarian politics as usual.
Peter Daou must be thrilled.

[Chovexani]

38. No worries

I think everyone's feeling a bit touchy these days, with all the mess going on.

I'm not trying to give the black GLBT community a pass here, because we need to be more pro-active when stuff like this happens, but at the same time I wonder. This deal was brokered by the HRC, who has never been friendly to queers of color. I feel bad for the white pastor who was invited, because I'm sure he's a great guy and has a lot of good things to say. I'm just questioning the wisdom of this.

[cobalt1999]

7. No, he's just ex-black.

You know that's a choice, didn't you?

[trotsky]

15. Obama just keeps stepping in deeper.

Another example of how it's always best to just admit your mistake right away and correct it rather than try to save face and work around it.

[ShortnFiery]

19. No, the slime of a well orchestrated *attack campaign* is sticking.

It's so damn disgusting ... now I know that the third way wing of the democratic party has left me. How f**king SAD. :(

[trotsky]

25. LOL

:rofl:

[Bluebear]

43. LOL

Yeah, Obama is being "attacked". :eyes:

[incapsulated]

30. Man alive

I don't know what to say, this was either more stupidity or just made the argument that this is deliberate pandering.

Those claiming "reverse racism" truly don't get it and never will, I'm afraid.

You cannot be black and gay. Let's pretend only white people are gay so we can ignore the issue about this prejudice in our community and on with the show.


Bleh.

[Critters2]

44. Should've invited Yvette Flunder.

She would have been a better choice. And she probably would've gone.

http://www.arkofrefuge.org/flunder_bio_2004.shtml