Word of the Gay: "Saddlebacking"

"Saddlebacking" is a new term to describe the phenomenon of Christian teens engaging in unprotected anal sex in order to preserve their virginities. The term has been created by Dan Savage to show the person being ridden has been saddled - thanks to the efforts of Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church and others like him who espouse religious hang-ups and serious misconceptions about sex.

Your Activism Had An Effect! Openly Gay Bishop Part of Inauguration!

Congratulations, Rev. Warren critics: You did it. Yesterday's announcement that Episcopal New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson would lead the opening invocation of the Inauguration is great news for the gay community, but more importantly, it's proof that vocal opposition to Rev. Warren had an effect.

An unnamed transition official claimed the appearance was planned all along, but of course, that's a lie.

If it were true, why would it not have been announced in tandem with or shortly after the announcement that Rev. Warren would lead the day-of invocation? Are we to believe that Mr. Political Strategy decided to hold off on the announcement for three weeks while he suffered blistering criticism (from us, among many others) for being completely tone deaf to the needs of the LGBT community? Are we to believe that Bishop Robinson's criticism of Warren's inclusion in the event was done while all along, he knew he was going to be invited.

Crossposted via Queerty

Atlanta Black LGBT Coalition Calls On Ebenezer Church to Drop Warren

The founding members of the newly formed Atlanta Black LGBT Organization is calling on Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center to rescind their invitation to controversial evangelical pastor Rick Warren. Warren is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observance in Atlanta on January 19.

At the historic church where civil rights icon and hero Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech, we must encourage Reverend Warnock, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and The King Center "to correct this dangerous mistake while there is still time".

Ebenezer Baptist Church
407 Auburn Ave.
Atlanta, Ga. 30312
(404) 688-7300
E-mail them at info@ebenezerchurch.us

H/T to Living Out Loud With Darian

Rick-A-Thon

Rick Warren is a homophobic, anti-equality preacher who will be delivering a prayer at the inauguration ceremony for president-elect Barack Obama. For every second that Rick Warren speaks, he will be raising thousands of dollars for LGBT equality.

Be sure to check out and pledge support for the Rick-A-Thon. You can opt to pledge a given amount for every second he speaks or just give a flat rate for the entire time he is on the podium.

"Changing The Conversation" Invitation for Rick Warren to Debate on Prop 8!

While President-elect Obama has chosen to ignore the troubling beliefs of the man who will spiritually usher in his presidency, Californians can not ignore Rick Warren.

We can not ignore Rick Warren's fervent support for Proposition 8 or his mobilization of thousands of Saddleback Church evangelical Christians to enshrine discrimination into our state constitution.

That's why we're asking you to give Pastor Warren a new invitation -- a Courage Campaign invitation to a public debate on same-sex marriage with Reverend Eric Lee, President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) of Greater Los Angeles.

The deadline for the petition has been extended, please sign now!

Tammy Baldwin, Take Your Name Off that List!

CBS News is reporting that lesbian legislator Tammy Baldwin is an Honorary Inaugural Co-Chair. And the press will not be slow to see Baldwin’s inclusion as an endorsement of Warren and as a buffer to criticism against the President-Elect.

Clearly this is but another token of valueless “inclusion” like the marching band. Gays can have a silent and distant honorary place at the table, but the head seat goes to the guy who will “not tolerate” us and thinks we have no human rights and writes tributes to those who seek to imprison us.

Openly gay Barney Frank has already taken a stand. Now it’s time for Tammy Baldwin to show whether she truly cares about the community. It’s time that she decide, is she on the side of that tomboy in Wisconsin who is being told that she’s an abomination, or does she want to be part of the Obama Nation? Does she want to protect the vulnerable, or does she want to win points with the powerful?

Washington Office
2446 Rayburn Building
Washington DC 20515
(202) 225-2906
(202) 225-6942 Fax
E-Contact Form

Crossposted via Box Turtle Bulletin

"Drop Rick Warren" Campaign

Efforts are underway to have Obama rescind his invitation to anti-gay preacher Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church. Pastor Warren fiercely supported proposition 8 (overturning equal marriage rights in California), his church engages in "ex-gay" therapy, and bans openly homosexual members. He has also made offensive comments regarding the gay community, suggesting gays are "immature and promiscuous" and comparing same-sex marriage to incest, child rape, and polygamy.

Email Parag Mehta, Obama's LGBT liaison on the transition team at: parag.mehta@ptt.gov to express your concern.

Emmett Belivau is the Executive Director/CEO of the Inaugural Committee. Let him know your thoughts:
202-203-1715
emmett@pic2009.org

Call on President-elect Obama to Restore Our Trust and take Real Action on Equality!

The Presidential Inaugural Committee may not change their minds on Rev. Warren but President-elect Obama can turn the corner on this controversy by officially committing to HRC's Blueprint for Positive Change – a concrete plan for LGBT equality.


HRC's Blueprint for Positive Change calls on President-elect Obama to:

• Issue an Executive Order within the first 100 days that reaffirms protections for federal workers based on sexual orientation and expands them to also include gender identity;
  

• Work with Congress to sign Hate Crimes legislation into law within 6 months;

• Support only a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA);

• In the first 100 days develop a plan to begin the process of eliminating the failed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy; and

• Work with Congress to end unequal tax treatment of domestic partnerships benefits.

Take action NOW and send a powerful message via this HRC form to the incoming Obama Administration!

Two Protests Planned at Rick Warren's Church

In response to Obama choosing anti-gay Pastor Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration, and over Warren's Saddleback Church endorsing proposition 8, there will be 2 upcoming demonstrations.

The first is being organized by Gays United Network for this Sunday, December 21st.

Lake Forest, CA
9:00am - 9:00pm
Cross streets are El Toro and Portola Pkwy, 92630
1 Saddleback Pkwy

3236355384
nakhone@gaysunitednetwork.org

Check out the event details on Facebook here.

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The second, organized by All Or Not At All will be held January 18th.

Lake Forest, CA
11:00am - 2:00pm
Saddleback Church in Lake Forest
1 Saddleback Parkway

info@allornotatall.org

You can find more details on Facebook.

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H/T to Unite The Fight.

Rick Warren: "Gays Are Immature And Promiscuous"

News headlines broke earlier in the week with the announcement that President-elect Barack Obama had chosen anti-gay pastor Rick Warren to be part of the inauguration. This alone sparked a media frenzy and anger from liberal and LGBT organizations.

Now in an interview with NBC's Ann Curry, Pastor Warren responds to the question of how he would deal with homosexuality if it proves to be biologically based.


The insinuation that we are somehow underdeveloped and "immature" and that all LGBT people are "promiscuous" is a lie and downright offensive.

Take action by clicking here to send a form through Equality California, demanding Obama rescind the invitation.

Rick Warren To Deliver Invocation at Inauguration

The New York Times’ Katharine Seelye has is reporting that Rick Warren, the pastor at Saddleback Church, has been chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to deliver the invocation at the inaugural ceremony.

This is the same Rick Warren who recently said that the relationships of his “many gay friends” are no different from child rape, incest or polygamy. He also jumped on the paranoia bandwagon surrounding same-sex marriage by falsely claiming that Prop 8’s failure somehow would have overturned the Constitution’s First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and religion.(Box Turtle Bulletin)

Are you looking for someone to email to express your outrage? Well, a well-placed source just provided these email addresses:

parag.mehta@ptt.gov (Parag Mehta is Obama’s LGBT liaison in the transition team.)
dnoble@barackobama.com
bbond@barackobama.com
steve@hildebrandtewes.com (Steve Hildebrandt)
fred.hochberg@ptt.com

You can also contact Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office. She chaired the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and made the announcement.