Obama invites lesbian couple on his Inaugural Whistle Stop Tour

[ruggerson]

He deserves credit for this. It's a good, important symbolic gesture. Hopefully, it's just the beginning.

http://www.washingtonblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23363

Lesbian couple invited on Inaugural Whistle Stop Tour
15 other families join Obama, Biden on train to ceremony

Today the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee announced the names of 16 families who will join President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden on their Whistle Stop Tour to D.C. the Saturday before the inauguration.

Lesbian couple Lisa Hazirjian and her partner Michelle have been invited to join the Whistle Stop Tour and appear onstage with Obama and Biden during events.

Hazirjian, who is from Ohio, serves as an at-large board member of Equality Ohio, as a member of the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats and as a volunteer for Cleveland Families Count, an organization formed to defend the new domestic partner registry in the city.

She is now establishing herself as a leader in our community at the grassroots level, serving as an at-large board member of Equality Ohio, a member of the incredibly effective Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, and a volunteer with Cleveland Families Count, the organization formed recently to defend the new domestic partnership registry in Cleveland.

[Clio the Leo]

1. smile. NT

[iamjoy]

2. This Is Obama....

He will invite homophobe Rick Warren to give the invocation, and invite a lesbian couple to stand with him too.

It's hard to parse this man into neat little categories with neat little labels.

Maybe he ought to have the lesbian couple sit down to dinner with Rick Warren (Obama would attend too, of course)

[The Doctor.]

13. THAT would be magnificent.

The question is this;

Would they have a substantive discussion, or make small talk?

[iamjoy]

46. I Don't Care

If they make small talk, that is a good thing. If they talk about other serious issues that have nothing to do with sexuality, that is a great thing.

Finding each other distasteful is no way to make progress. Seeing the other side as human beings with some of the same interests and concerns is a way of finding common ground.

[Windy]

21. Kick!! This people IS Barack Obama! I encourage anyone who hasn't read his books to do so!

this is the man that he is and why I voted for him. I never lost faith. He always seems to have a purpose in what he does

[Thrill]

3. Thats a more powerful message than Warren's

two minute invocation. But I don't expect people to recognize that

[Window]

50. You said it.

Peace:thumbsup:

[Grateful for Hope]

59. I agree with your first sentence

and, I hope that people DO recognize this.

[bliss_eternal]

4. Bookmarked...

and recommended. Will return to this later to give it the kick it deserves.

Thank you, ruggerson for sharing this. I see it as an important step, too.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Ms. Hazirjian's partner's name is Michelle too, just like Obama's! :)

[Occam Bandage]

6. That's a fairly impressive message. nt

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[shireen]

8. that's good.

do they have kids? I hope so. That would send an even more powerful message.

[firedupdem]

9. I think this is really great. I am hoping that perhaps he does have

that couple sit down with Warren and talk. Great, bringing all sides together. I have faith that Warren will have to change his tune one day and perhaps others will follow.

[Zynx]

10. Considering how everyone got upset about the Warren symbolism I expect

those same people to be equally complimentary for this.

[FrenchieCat]

11. Anger normally gets way more ink......last I checked.

[Recursion]

12. The perfect is the enemy of the good

I feel like this board will be definitive proof of that for the next 4-8 years.

[Hanse]

14. LOL

[Clio the Leo]

18. Yep. I want to see hundreds and hundreds of threads about it. NT

[onefreespiritedchick]

62. It is a step in the right direction

For those who were offended by the Warren pick. And, makes it all the more inclusive of everyone.

[donco6]

20. Not really.

To me, it's a big, fat, So What?

We're supposed to be flattered that he has a gay couple with him? Why the hell wouldn't he? He's got other people with him.

[firedupdem]

22. Not flattered but wouldn't you think that it's a very big step in the right

direction? Has any other President included a gay couple in anything positive? Has a gay couple ever been on the national stage politically as a regular family?

I think that goes a long way in showing the rest of the world something, especially the people who take issue with it. Won't it be great for other gay families to see, as well as children from those families?

[donco6]

23. Well, there was the Cheney brat.

So that honor goes to the Republicans, I guess.

But seriously, I'm just not all ga-ga about actually being included with the "real" people on the platform. "Look at how inclusive we are! We have some real live GAY PEOPLE with us!"

Of course, when the stage is shared by the other end of the spectrum, it makes the invitation . . . oh, just all that less special:

"But since the Warren inauguration controversy erupted, the nature of work against AIDS in Africa has gone unexamined. Warren has not been particularly forthcoming to those who have attempted to look into it. His website contains scant information about the results of his program. However, an investigation into Warren's involvement in Africa reveals a web of alliances with right-wing clergymen who have sidelined science-based approaches to combating AIDS in favor of abstinence-only education...Warren's man in Uganda is a charismatic pastor named Martin Ssempa. The head of the Makerere Community Church, a rapidly growing congregation, Ssempe enjoys close ties to his country's First Lady, Janet Museveni, and is a favorite of the Bush White House. In the capitol of Kampala, Ssempa is known for his boisterous crusading. Ssempa's stunts have included burning condoms in the name of Jesus and arranging the publication of names of homosexuals in cooperative local newspapers while lobbying for criminal penalties to imprison them."

"With safe sex advocates on the run, Warren and Ssempa trained their sights on another social evil. In August 2007, Ssempa led hundreds of his followers through the streets of Kampala to demand that the government mete out harsh punishments against gays. 'Arrest all homos,' read placards. And: 'A man cannot marry a man.' Ssempa continued his crusade online, publishing the names of Ugandan gay rights activists on a website he created, along with photos and home addresses. 'Homosexual promoters,' he called them, suggesting they intended to seduce Uganda's children into their lifestyle. Soon afterwards, two of President Yoweri Museveni's top officials demanded the arrest of the gay activists named by Ssempa. Terrified, the activists immediately into hiding."

Yeah, I'm just all a-quiver with excitement.

[saracat]

35. Mary Cheney and her signifigant other for one . And Bush appointed a gay Ambassador to Luxembourg

( I think it was Luxembourg)who attended events with his partner. This isn't exactly ground breaking and it also isn't going to be telecast to millions like the convocation.

[Zynx]

39. And this is what I expected.

To religious fundies this might be a big deal. Too many people on both sides get far too excited about empty symbolism in both of these cases. Not a goddamn thing will happen either way due to this or Warren.

[treestar]

67. But we've had 9000 posts telling us gays don't have equality and

equal rights yet! So it would be significant. Your post assumes equality already exists.

Your opposition is just hatred of Warren then, hatred of anyone who disagrees. How productive.

[Bluebear]

48. So we can expect you to join in with being equally upset about Warren?

[donco6]

55. Not bloody likely.

It keeps messing with the halo.

[treestar]

68. No, because both things are relatively minor occurrences

But whoever turned Warren into a nuclear issue would seem to be emotional enough to be nuclearly happy about this!

[Grateful for Hope]

60. Those who have never supported Obama

will not admit that this is a positive. I think it is as simple as that.

[treestar]

66. Amen Zynx - let people prove they can be positive as well as

negative.

[usregimechange]

15. That is the President I worked for.

[firedupdem]

16. kick!

this thread should be on fire!

[Starry Messenger]

17. I'm glad the grassroots are getting plaudits!

This is an awesome recognition of all their hard work. That has to be energizing.

[firedupdem]

19. kick!

again....:kick:

[AtomicKitten]

24. Great story. Thanks for posting it. n/t

[sundog]

25. this is good

but i'm more interested in legislation than hayrides


i'd be lying though if i said the gesture isn't appreciated

[firedupdem]

26. I keep trying not to think that there is some sort of personal issue

people have with Obama. I just keep looking around and only the negatives stay up top and on fire. Anything with a positive spin on it sinks.

[Starry Messenger]

27. It's the nature of DU, really.

I keep forgetting you've only been here a few months. The unity displayed in the month leading up the election was pretty rare for us! :D

Plus, most normal people are asleep at this hour. I'm sure this will get some more traction in the AM if you give it a kick around breakfast. People tend to come on then to look for new threads.

[SwampG8r]

28. is that why my BEST stuff always dies?

i thought it was because im not funny to anyone but ME!
damn body clock!

[akbacchus_BC]

29. No, this person is just a hypocrite! Kinda useless it is on here!

[SwampG8r]

30. huh? i missed something .please enlighten me?

[Starry Messenger]

31. Excuse me?

Are you referring to me? LOL.

[SwampG8r]

33. do a DU search on this one

im calling TS on him within the day
want to go for 5?

[Starry Messenger]

34. I had been giving it the benefit of the doubt...

I think I'd lose that bet. :D

[akbacchus_BC]

36. No, I did not mean you!

[Starry Messenger]

32. We need an insomniacs club!

Nighthawks at the diner...

[snowbear]

37. I like that idea...

.
.


.....

[seaglass]

43. It was enforced unity and likely gave many people on DU the wrong impression.

Obviously the majority of DUers voted for Obama but a good many did because there was no other choice.

[bigwillq]

40. It would've happened regardless

of who the PE is. Richardson, Clinton, Biden, etc, etc, etc....The negatives would stay up top if either one of them were the PE too.

[PBS Poll-435]

38. This makes it all better!

Good on you PE Obama!















:eyes:

[Zynx]

41. Darn that empty symbolism...wait.

Warren is a bad symbolic gesture! Rabble! Rabble rabble!

[Critters2]

51. Yeah!! A lesbian couple standing quietly by is exactly equal to

Rick Warren's invitation to speak.


Wait.

[leftstreet]

53. They will rocket to fame when Warren cures them on National Teevee

[marimour]

42. k&r

Great story

[Boomerang Diddle]

44. k & r

[knowledgeispwr]

45. Kicking and Recommending...

just a gesture, but still positive.

[Politicub]

47. I agree. Good on Obama!!

It's great that he's going to have a diverse set of folks with him. I would love to have been invited along for a trip like that - it's a once in a lifttime chance to be part of history.

[Political Tiger]

49. Go Obama!

Obama is da man!

[glowing]

52. Notice that they cannot be a married couple.. Just a couple...

[ddeclue]

54. Perhaps they could share a compartment with Rev. Warren?

That would be entertaining...

:)

[Phx_Dem]

56. He also just appointed openly gay Fred Hochberg to be

head of the Export Import Bank.

"The chair of the Export-Import Bank of the United States is an important position in President-elect Obama's economic team. Fred is one of the most highly qualified and experienced public servants in our community and the fact that President-elect Obama has tapped him for such an important economic position speaks well for the LGBT community," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

http://www.americablog.com/2009/01/obama-picks-openly-gay-head-of-export.html

[hulklogan]

57. Tokenism, plain and simple.

That said, it is a step in the right direction. The hill our President Elect has to climb in this case is a tall one.

[Grateful for Hope]

63. I thought this was good news also. n/t

[treestar]

69. Then Warren is tokenism too

A powerless honor given to the religious right.

[hulklogan]

70. I thought everyone around here was against tokenism when it came to gays.

I guess this just proves that there are just as many hypocrites on DU as there are everywhere else. :patriot:

[tbyg52]

58. Thank you for the good news!

:applause:

[onefreespiritedchick]

61. Now this is awesome!

Go Obama!

[xchrom]

64. a couple who are denied the right to be married -- an idea supported by obama.

yay! gobama!

[WhiteTara]

65. okay, that makes it all better

yikes. it does not make it the least bit better.