The Political Whore

Writing in HuffPo recently, Bob Ostertag insists it is:

It’s just plain sad what the gay and lesbian movement has come to. November 4 was so extraordinary, so magical. The whole world seemed to come together. Except for gays and lesbians in California. We were supposed to feel crushed over Proposition 8. And now the whole scenario is gearing up to repeat itself on January 20: the whole world will celebrate the inauguration of the first black American president and the end of the George Bush insanity – the whole world except gays and lesbians who will be protesting Rick Warren’s presence at the inaugural.

How is it that queers became the odd ones out at such a momentous turning point in history? By pushing an agenda of stupid issues like gay marriage.

“Gay marriage” turns the real issues of equal rights for sexual minorities upside down and paints us into a reactionary little corner of our own making.

Given the setback of Amendment 2 in Florida that is fresh in everyone’s minds here, it is a reasonable question to ask if the GLBT community has made a tactical or political mistake in pushing for the right to marry just as heterosexuals can. So I asked a few well-known Tampa Bay gay activists or politicos their thoughts and here is what I have received back so far:

Lorna Bracewell, Creative Loafing blogger and singer/songwriter:

My response is two fold: First of all, I think Bob Ostertag is mistaken when he intimates that gays and lesbians are not celebrating right along with the rest of the country and the world the election of the first African American president of the United States. Just because many gays and lesbians have noted the irony that this civil rights milestone coincided with a civil rights travesty doesn’t mean we don’t acknowledge or appreciate the milestone.

Second of all, I think Ostertag’s argument for the exclusion of “gay marriage” from the universe of “real issues of equal rights for sexual minorities” is sloppy and wrongheaded. He’s right that straight people who remain unmarried do not get the “special pivileges” that accompany a civil
marriage. However, his suggestion that existing marriage law discriminates against these couples in the same way it discriminates against same sex couples is absurd. If a couple of straight, unmarried “hipsters who can’t relate to religious institutions” want the “special privileges” of civil marriage all they have to do is stroll down to the courthouse. If same sex couples want them, there is no remedy.

I’m in favor of coalition building; gays and lesbians need to reach out to fair minded people of every sexual orientation, but we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that the law currently treats us as categorically different from straight people. We are not denied the right to marry because we are  unmarried. We are denied the right to marry because we would marry someone of the same sex.

Larry Biddle, a veteran of the Howard Dean presidential campaign and online campaigning pioneer (and partner of CL Editor David Warner), weighed in with these thoughts:

I think the issue should be separated – religious from civil.

I can’t think of why it’s important to take on religion in almost any fight.  There are still are terrible consequences to people and the world due to religious contentions. It’s a never-ending battle.

Forget that.  Get beyond trying to make everyone believe the same religiously.  What I would defend, and fight for, is equal civil rights for everyone.  We in the gay community tend to live the double standard of wanting folks to only believe what we believe is right.  That’s their argument.  We use divisiveness as a self-destructive weapon.   The amendment 2 loss in the last election in Florida was mainly due to: (1) the division into two groups to run what should have been a united campaign front – that division was mostly mostly about personality conflicts; (2) the fight wasn’t about love — as it was in Massachusetts — where polls and final results showed that love was something the transcended almost all issues and divisiveness — including most religious beliefs.  I believe universally people can agree that love is unique and not to be legislated.

The Warren fuss and the constitutional amendment losses aren’t a fight based on accepting diversity or seriously searching for commonalities.  It’s are too often about gays not accepting others even when we don’t agree with their views.  That takes principled compromise and respectful argument.  I think we should be realistic about how political fights are won.  Keep it civil.  That includes celebrating in unity on January 20th and using that as the bases for moving forward equal right for all.  It’s a waste of time to battle religious differences.

Biddle also sent along a message making the rounds along these same lines, about Pastor Rick Warren and the controversy over his planned Inauguration Invocation, from Michael Piazza of Hope for Peace and Justice:

Defending Rick Warren

President-elect Barack Obama’s choice of evangelical pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration has created quite a stir, especially in the lesbian and gay community. Wisdom dictates that I begin by saying that I disagree vociferously with almost everything the Rev. Warren believes and preaches. Although I appreciate the work his church has done combating AIDS in Africa, I wish he cared about those living with AIDS in this country, too. My life would be better if I never had to hear another evangelical pastor pray to our white Father-God, but I guess, unless I mute the TV, that again will be my fate on January 20. It makes me furious that Warren used his extensive tax-free platform to campaign against Proposition 8 in California and defend special rights for heterosexual taxpayers. There are thousands of non-white/heterosexual/male religious leaders that our new president could have chosen to give the invocation. However, he picked Rick Warren, and I support that choice.

Warren certainly doesn’t deserve our support, but the dynamic behind his selection does. The President-elect made a point of the fact that he, too, disagrees with much of what Warren believes and does. That is the genius of Barack Obama. He invites people with whom he disagrees into his life and administration. How amazing is that after the past eight years? Throughout the Bush administration, we have seen the danger and disaster that comes from only listening to those with whom you agree.

Regardless of how you feel about Rick Warren’s theology, you have to give him points for twice inviting candidate Obama to participate in events at his church, despite obviously disagreeing with Obama’s values and positions. If Rick Warren is adult enough to do that, we should be, too. Genuine diversity requires us to listen respectfully to people who are different and who hold differing views. Both the right and the left are guilty of listening only to itself. Dialogue is our greatest hope for progress, but that can never happen if we cannot tolerate including those with whom we disagree. In many ways, the disdain shown for the President-elect’s choice of Warren reflects more poorly on us than on Warren. We must learn to see issues from both sides and then respectfully disagree without becoming shrill or hateful.

Please do not think I am unwilling to fight or protest or shout my disagreement when seeking equality. I have fought for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights across the south for 30 years, so I understand the need to fight passionately. I also have learned the need for respect, and that if I ever expect to receive it I have to show it. I disagree with Rick Warren, and I disagree with President-elect Obama’s selection of him. However, I respect both men, and, mostly, I respect the values that allow people to disagree without disdain. We cannot discard other Americans with whom we disagree without expecting them to want to discard us. As someone wise said, we must “do unto others as we would have them do unto us.”

The Rev. Joseph Lowery will give the benediction at the inauguration. This great Civil Rights leader is a hero of mine. However, I assume that there are conservatives in this country who find his choice as abhorrent to them as we liberals do the choice of Rick Warren. I say, “I assume,” because I haven’t heard any of them say a word. As our movement matures, we must offer the same respect to our opponents that we want them to offer us. While we disagree vigorously with Rick Warren, millions of people agree with him, and they deserve a place at the table, too.

We must make room for those who disagree with us if we hope to have them make room for us. That is what diversity is all about. Those are the terms by which real dialogue takes place. It requires a maturity of tolerance and respect, and without it progress is impossible. As our friends in AA say, “Crazy is doing what you’ve always done but expecting different results.” We must find new strategies if we want different results. Showing respect even in disagreement may be the key to persuading those in the majority to respect us and our rights.

Let Rick Warren pray, and I’ll go get a cup of coffee while he does. Meanwhile, I look forward to hearing Joseph Lowery pray the benediction and give voice to my prayers for this new administration, which is adult enough to make room even for people with whom it doesn’t agree.

Blessings,
Michael Piazza
President, Hope for Peace & Justice

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