Obama's Choice of Homophobe to Deliver Inauguration Invocation Causes Outrage

When president-elect Barack Obama announced this week that Rick Warren will deliver the invocation at his inauguration, shock waves were felt through our monitor.

The Rainbow Coalition was not too happy. As they should.

Warren is a bigot who has compared gay relationships to pedophilia and campaigned hard to pass Prop 8 in California which denies homosexuals equal rights.

To his credit: he does say he isn't homophobic and claims to know gay people. And, after all, he served gays who were protesting outside his church during the Prop 8 debacle donuts and water.

Awww.... wasn't that nice.....




Here's Anderson Cooper refereeing a heated debate on the matter.




This is what Obama said regarding his choice of Warren:

I am fierce advocate for equality for gay and -- well, let me start by talking about my own views. I think it is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans. It is something I have been consistent on and something I intend to continue to be consistent on during my presidency.

What I've also said is that it is important for America to come together even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues.

And I would note that a couple of years ago I was invited to Rick Warren's church to speak, despite his awareness that I held views entirely contrary to his when it came to gay and lesbian rights, when it came to issues like abortion.

Nevertheless, I had an opportunity to speak, and that dialog, I think, is a part of what my campaign's been all about, that we're never going to agree on every single issue. What we have to do is create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable, and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans. So Rick Warren has been invited to speak, Dr. Joseph Lowery -- who has deeply contrasting views to Rick Warren about a whole host of issues -- is also speaking.

Thanks to the homie, Pam.