McClurkin defended his views, said his words were "twisted"

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

The defense seems to boil down to "I've had sex with way too many men to be called anti-gay." He seems to have not commented on his support for George Bush's "war on homosexuality" in 2004, or his call for NYC close close the Harvey Milk high school.
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Talking Points Memo: Election Central

Antigay Obama Supporter McClurkin: "God Delivered Me From Homosexuality"
By Greg Sargent - October 29, 2007, 1:23PM

The controversy over Obama supporter and antigay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin just won't go away. The latest: McClurkin tried his hand at -- ahem -- a bit of damage control, and the result was the following:

The Grammy-winning singer said Sunday (at the performance) his words had been "twisted."

"Don't call me a bigot or anti-gay, when I have been touched by the same feelings," McClurkin went on. "When I have suffered with the same feelings. Don't call me a homophobe, when I love everybody … Don't tell me that I stand up and I say vile words against the gay community because I don't. I don't speak against the homosexual. I tell you that God delivered me from homosexuality."

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/antigay_obama_supporter_mcclurkin_god_delivered_me_from_homosexuality.php

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Rather than starting new threads, I'll add this Atrios entry here:

The Audacity of Homophobia

I could spend all day unpacking this Obama statement, but I'll try to stick to my usual terse self.

Part of the reason that we have had a faith outreach in our campaigns is precisely because I don't think the LGBT community or the Democratic Party is served by being hermetically sealed from the faith community and not in dialogue with a substantial portion of the electorate, even though we may disagree with them.

Aside from the adoption of right wing frames, this kind of statement is incredibly insulting to both the LGBT community who are apparently "hermetically sealed from the faith community" and to the "faith community" which is apparently defined as nothing more than a bunch of anti-gay bigots. Not to mention the Democratic Party, which apparently includes no actual religious people.

It's really just insulting to everyone, with a touch of "shut the hell up I know best."

One thing you learn very quickly when you blog is that no matter how smart and knowledgeable you are (or imagine yourself to be), some of your readers are going to be smarter than you and literally every one of your readers knows more than you do about something. It's humbling at first, but then quite liberating. The "shut the hell up I know best" stuff is what grates me the most about politicians and other elites in our system because the truth is that quite often... they don't.

http://haloscan.com/tb/atrios/8668738091057708210

[FredScuttle]

1. Breathtaking

"I don't speak against the homosexual"

"God delivered me from homosexuality"

This must be some kind of new land speed record for contradicting oneself in the same breath.

[yardwork]

2. "When I have SUFFERED from the same feelings."

I just can't even begin...

[Bluebear]

3. His words are twisted, alright. nt

[goodgd_yall]

5. You beat me to it n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

4. He backed Bush, and now he backs Obama. Not surprised at all.

Maybe it's being Jeb Bush's VP that Obama really desires.

[William769]

6. K&R!

[terrya]

7. God, what an asshole.

"I don't speak against the homosexual. I tell you that God delivered me from homosexuality."

What can you say?