Obama endorses ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY

[dbackjon]

Keep that in mind, Iowans - the audacity of hope and change is only for heterosexuals, unless you want to brain-wash gays and lesbians into believing they are sinners and the only way to salvation is to pretend to be straight.

[atreides1]

1. Could you elaborate, please???

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Please Google Donnie McClurkin

He is an "ex-gay" and is a proponent of the "turn or burn" brand of bigoted homophobia. For a while, he was a prominent part of Obama's presidential campaign.

Added: There have been repeated and very loud demands from many sectors that Obama renounce his connection with McClurkin. While McClurkin has been (pardon the expression) shoved back into the campaign closet, Obama has not only not renounced his ties to McClurkin, he has defended those ties as a necessary outreach to to the voters.

[Renew Deal]

42. Hypocrisy: Hillary's top supporter is an ANTI-GAY BIGOT

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3934897

[TechBear_Seattle]

69. Which is neither here nor there

Aside from which, I don't recall Bill Clinton ever telling America to become straight or burn in hell forever.

[marshall]

87. What about his signing DOMA?

Wasn't that written between the lines?

[TechBear_Seattle]

90. I have absolutely no love for Clinton, don't get me wrong

And after Gore spent the two months between its signing and the 1996 election telling the media about how DOMA was really a good thing and a step forward towards equality, well.... There was a reason I supported Nader in 2000.

I would say that the difference between Clinton and McClurkin with regards to gay people is similar to the difference between antebellum plantation owners and the World Church of the Creator with regards to people of color: the one wants us alive and in chains so we can be put to use, the other wants us dead. Neither are good situations, but one is distinctly worse.

[DS1]

2. Him and Fred Phelps have a 'wide-stance' relationship

[Renew Deal]

4. lol

:spank:

[cali]

5. It's the smell of desperation. n/t

[ruggerson]

8. Congratulations cali and DS1 and bleachers

you just won a coveted spot in the Best of DU, GLBT Edition.

You don't get a trophy or anything. You just get to mull over the fact that your words live on in ignominious infamy.

[Renew Deal]

11. I'm in good company.

[ruggerson]

14. You and I

have very different definitions of the word "good."

[DS1]

39. Mein Gott!

Does anyone here understand sarcasm?

Morans!

Bleachers -> :pals:

[RoadRage]

37. I hate Repubs who are "1 Issue Voters"...

And this is the same thing. I have family members that will "Always vote Republican, because Abortion is Wrong".. to me that is pure tunnel vision.

First of all, Obama has clearly stated he's for Civil Unions. Are Clinton & Edwards going to force the sentate & congress to push through Same Sex Marriage on their 2nd day in office? I haven't seen that post anywhere either.

I am married, but with many Gay & Lesbian friends.. so I am as much for this as I can be. But, to say that It's the ONLY issue to be concerned about is just silly! I know.. i know.. since i'm not gay - it doesn't affect me so I have no say, right? Well, my friends are really important to me - and 4 of my 7 "gay" friends are voting for Obama (one doesn't vote at all.. thinks it's pointless, and the other 2 are lesbians for Hillary).

[FredScuttle]

52. When that "1 issue" is respect for civil rights for ALL Americans

You're damn right I have tunnel vision.

The reason Obama alone is being hammered on this is that, unlike the other Democratic candidates, Obama welcomed a bigot into his campaign and gave this clown a starring role at his campaign event to spew homophobic filth to a receptive audience of like-minded bigots. And not one word of apology from Obama.

[AlertLurker]

6. This is friggin' IOWA, remember?

There could be a couple of states more white, Xian and Hetero than Iowa, but I can't think of any right now.

[cboy4]

7. The thing is Obama supporters refuse to explain why

gay people shouldn't worry he'll pull another anti-gay stunt if it's once again politically advantageous.

Nobody will address this, other than to say he'll fight for everyone, blah blah blah.

That's not an adequate answer.

[Cameron27]

9. I think he's a good man,

but I don't know what his intention is, if it's just temporary pandering, or something more. It's the trend that bothers me, whether he dismisses our battle with the neo-cons as a "food fight," suggests that we've moved beyond the work of 60's activism, tells Ted Kennedy to get a spine, infuses his campaign with phrases highlighting his own personal Christianity or allows Donnie McClurkin to speak at this gospel tour, I'm beginning to wonder what his idea of change really means.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

78. Well, for one thing, he probably won't because he'll get raked over the coals for it.

Unlike other politicians who pander to homophobes. They get the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign, despite their associations.

How's that?

[cboy4]

80. He knew he was going to get "raked over the coals"

associating himself with McClurkin, so why do you think that concerns him?

And by saying, "Unlike other politicians who pander to homophobes," you're implying that Obama doesn't pander to homophobes.

He pandered to McClurkin!!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

82. It concerned him enough to put a gay preacher on the lineup

Yeah, it was an anemic effort at damage control, but it does show that the campaign was concerned.

And I've never once suggested that Obama wasn't pandering by including McClurkin after his homophobic statements were revealed. I never implied otherwise. I'm just saying that the outrage is very disproportional.

[cboy4]

83. You're making absolutely no sense. What do you mean

puting a "gay preacher on the lineup" showed that the campaign was concerned????

Which gay preacher?

And what did they do in terms of damage control?

I seriously have no idea what you're talking about.

[VarnettaTuckpocket]

94. cboy4, you're forgetting the forgettable

They did add a gay preacher to the line-up, but he didn't confront the homophobia of the audience. He just made a little prayer at the beginning while people were filing in, not paying attention. He mentioned nothing about gay rights or being gay, and I'm sure 99% of the audience had no idea that he was gay. So the Obama camp threw us a crumb, and that's exactly what it was, a crumb. A gay preacher who gets up there when no one is paying attention, and the audience has no idea he's gay anyway, was a next-to-nothing conciliatory gesture. The truth is it was just another insult, but apparently some people think empty gestures and microscopic crumbs are all the gay community deserve anyway.

[FredScuttle]

88. "the campaign was concerned"

Ha! The campaign was so "concerned" they put a white gay preacher on before the concert started to preach to an empty hall. This "gay" preacher was long gone by the time Rev. Donnie and his Caravan of Hate rolled up to spew homophobic filth to a receptive audience of bigots and morons. No counter-balance, no repudiation of the hate and filth spewed by this "ex-gay" clown, nothing.

The campaign actually compounded the insult with their choice of "gay" minister. They chose a white minister over any number of black gay ministers who volunteered, thus reinforcing Obama's stated stereotype that the black and LGBT communities are separate, exclusive entities. Also, they put this guy on well before the concert started and then put him back in the closet....where was the counterbalance to the "ex-gay" clown if the campaign was so "concerned"?

Sorry if you think the outrage is "disproportional", but I didn't see any of other Democratic candidates give an "ex-gay" clown a microphone and a stage to spew filth to a crowd full of bigots at an official sanctioned campaign event. And then refuse to apologize for it.

[Chovexani]

81. HRC is completely out of touch with the average GLBT person

Fuck, they endorsed Alfonse d'Amato for crying out loud. Not to mention the fact they are completely out of touch with GLBT people of color.

I really hate people bringing up HRC like it's the NAACP for gay people. It's NOT.

[Dawgs]

10. Do you have a quote for this lie?

When has Obama said 'I endorse anti-gay bigotry'?

When has he said he wanted to 'brain-wash gays and lesbians into believing they are sinners and they should pretend to be straight'?

You can't because you're a liar?

BTW, who do you support?

[FredScuttle]

12. deny, deny, deny

Your guy purposefully hired an "ex-gay" clown to headline his campaign event, despite vehement protests from LGBT groups who warned that this clown bigot would insult them at the event. The bigot did go on to spew homophobic filth at the event (for which Obama has yet to apologize for). In fact, Obama's campaign defended this clown bigot and their decision to feature him as the star attraction. His campaign released a statement that said "DONNIE DOES NOT WANT TO CHANGE GAYS WHO ARE HAPPY IN THEIR LIVES"

Fucking joke this is turning into.

[Dawgs]

45. And, he was wrong, but that does not make Obama a homophobe or bigot.

And, who are you supporting?

[FredScuttle]

55. I never said Obama was a homophobe

but I have more than enough evidence to say he courts homophobes and welcomes them into his campaign with open arms.

I'm not voting for Obama, that's for damn sure

[Dawgs]

70. So, who are you supporting?

"but I have more than enough evidence to say he courts homophobes and welcomes them into his campaign with open arms."

Let's see that evidence, and don't include McClurkin, because he never courted him as a homophobe?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

79. They're on my ignore list, so I'm guessing it's Clinton. nt

[FredScuttle]

89. Why does it matter who I'm supporting (if anyone)?

A quick search of my posts will give you your answer...but what matter is it to the issue of Obama courting and welcoming bigots into his campaign?

I will include McClurkin because Obama could have picked any one of many popular, mainstream gospel artists for this concert (for example, Oleta Adams or the Winans) who didn't have a documented history of homophobic statements in public. Numerous LGBT groups contacted the campaign well before the concert to register their opposition and to warn Obama that this bigot would use his time on stage to spew his bigoted filth. Obama chose to ignore these warnings, which turned out to be accurate.

I don't have an exact quote from Obama saying he courted McClurkin because he's a homophobe, but I'm not a) stupid or b) a blind sheep Obama supporter to not see the craven pandering Obama accomplished with his hire of McClosetcase. He was trailing Hillary in South Carolina among black voters and needed a big splash to win black voters over to his side. The route he decided to take was to pander to religious bigots in the black community and he found his star in Donnie McClosetcase. That Obama refuses to apologize for his "ex-gay" clown's homophobic filth spewed from the stage at his own campaign event reinforces the craven gutlessness of Obama's actions.

[dbackjon]

24. When he hired anti-gay bigots to MC and sing at his fundraisers

You can't comprehend that why? Because you're an idiot?


I have not chosen a candidate to support yet - probably won't until Feb 5th.

[Dawgs]

43. So, he doesn't believe those things.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Bluebear]

13. Not only endorses but gives it center stage.

[KingFlorez]

15. His record is what counts

Obviously the concert was mistake, but it's really silly to try and call someone a bigot when their voting record and past statements say otherwise.

[Bluebear]

17. No, it's not silly. It's called walking the walk.

Combine this with Obama warning women to be "prayerful" about choice and you have a candidate that worries many people.

[ieoeja]

60. Now that is just an outright lie.

Telling a bunch of anti-abortion activists that many women do indeed pray on the subject and still decide to have an abortion is nowhere near the out and out bullshit you just spouted here.

[Bluebear]

93. He said he hopes people would approach abortion prayerfully, so bullshit yourself.

[Cameron27]

18. The problem was that it wasn't a mistake,

Obama purposely allowed McClurkin to MC and speak, even in the face of protests and outrage from the LGBT community. That was so smug, so arrogant, and so tone deaf, I still can't believe he did it.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

19. (psst. facts only confuse hillarians. Let 'em play their games while they can)

besides, all those intertube staffers will be looking to eat their words after tonight. Watch them try to deny their inane attacks when they sign on to a real campaign.

[Bluebear]

23. Yes, convince yourself this is all about "Hillarians".

[FredScuttle]

35. I'm not a "Hillarian"

So what do you have to say to me to convince me that Obama is not a bigot-pandering hypocrite? More "Hillary does it too" bullshit?

[dbackjon]

26. What record is that?

What legislation has he promoted to help the GLBT community? When has he gone out on a limb to support us? When has he called for for equality for GLBT's?

I will tell you when - NEVER.

[KingFlorez]

40. He co-sponsered a bill banning discrimnation based on sexual orientation

He did that in the Illinois Senate. In 2005-2006, he received an 89 rating from The Human Rights Campaign, obviously they wouldn't give him that high a rating if he wasn't voting in a positive way. That's the record I'm referring to.

[IndianaJones]

16. another thread? will this not die? nt.

[dbackjon]

21. Not until he apologizes

[Snarkturian Clone]

38. As if anyone here would forgive him if he did.

We would just see a bunch of "Too little, too late, suckafoo!!! Go Clinton/Edwards/Kucinich/Biden/Gravel/Paul!" threads.

[dbackjon]

67. If he was sincere, and follow up the apology with real deeds, then yes

[FredScuttle]

76. If Obama issued a sincere apology

I'd be the first to applaud him

[Snarkturian Clone]

20. Did Obama

announce at any point in time something to the effect of "I endorse and agree with every single thing that McClurkin says, does, or thinks and so should you!!!"?

[Bluebear]

22. So one could hire David Duke to be an MC & say "Well, I don't agree with every thing he says"

please.

[Snarkturian Clone]

25. Behold. The Man of Straw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NT

[Bluebear]

27. Sorry, you used up your quota of exclamation points for January.

Please desist until February and a fresh supply will be alloted to you.

[dbackjon]

28. If that is what you want to call yourself

Go ahead - very apt discription of YOURSELF.

[Snarkturian Clone]

31. Ah, the "I know you are but what am I" defense NT

I'm not voting for Obama so don't worry.

[Cameron27]

34. Strawman,

how so?

[Cameron27]

30. That's the problem bear,

some refuse to react to this in the same way they would if a known racist was given a mic to speak.

[Bluebear]

33. And with that, my favorite seasoning . . .

I am off to work. Thank you as always for your support for equality :loveya:

See you as the results come in!

[Cameron27]

36. I'll be here watching too,

have fun at work :-)

[mrreowwr_kittty]

48. But it's okay for the racist to get $10000 a month consulting gigs.

That's definitely the sense one would get from these McClurkin threads. It's only bad if the bigot gets up and sings.

[William769]

32. Did Obama use him to raise money for his campaign?

Did a Gay man leave his campaign under let's say unusual circumstances and go to another campaign?

[William769]

29. K&R!

[Sulawesi]

41. Friend, the caucuses are tonight, you are pounding sand. Relax.

[William769]

44. As a Gay man I will pound it to the end of time.

[Sulawesi]

64. I didn't meant o give up on the issue, I meant to move on from Iowa.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

46. Sen. Clinton likes her some homophobes too

http://mydd.com/story/2007/10/24/162436/74

Harold Mayberry, whose endorsement was considered quite a feather in her cap.

Then there's Darrell Jackson. He is a state legislator, a preacher, and her SC co-chair. He has made bigotted statements.

$10000 a month consulting gig.

To advise her.

I don't know who you support, but if it's Clinton, you are either ignorant or a big fat FUCKING hypocrite.

Just like the so-called Human Rights Campaign, who endorsed Clinton despite her ties to homophobes. After issuing a scathing criticism of Obama.

Hypocrites.

[FredScuttle]

56. So, it's OK for Obama to pander to bigots because Hillary does it too?

What a fucking joke.

[MethuenProgressive]

47. Any minute now ObamaNation will post a "revenge thread":...

:popcorn:

[Snarkturian Clone]

50. It is fun to watch, isn't it? NT

[MethuenProgressive]

57. they're not helping their candidate. that part's not fun. update: revenge thread started

That was predictable.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

51. Any minute MethuenProgressive will post something about the candidate he supposedly supports

Oh wait. Not. :eyes:

[MethuenProgressive]

59. Yay! Another stalker!

Please send a photo. I hope you're as pretty as all my other stalkers!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

62. Don't flatter yourself. nt

[MethuenProgressive]

71. You follow me around calling DU me a liar, and I don't get a photo?

What are you trying to hide?

[sampsonblk]

49. I can see this is having a huge effect on his campaign

There are plenty of legit things to use against Obama without singling him out on this issue. The guy made a political mistake, which offended some people. I don't see it as any deeper than that.

[yardwork]

53. It would have caused less damage if Obama's supporters had apologized.

Instead, you and other Obama supporters added insult to injury in your response to the incident. That reflected poorly on your candidate.

[sampsonblk]

63. What damage?

The guy is in good shape to win Iowa. Had he apologized, he'd probably be in third place by now.

I am a Clinton supporter. Hell, I wish the guy had given you the tear-filled apology you want. But he's not going to do it. This is one of those mistakes he just can't apologize for. Maybe he should apologize. Maybe he shouldn't. But surely you can understand why he didn't do it.

Half the christians in America would hate the guy if he did.

[FredScuttle]

65. "Maybe he shouldn't"?

Yes, God forbid he apologize for giving a bigot clown a microphone, a starring role at his campaign event and a stage from which this clown could deliver such hateful bile as "God delivered me from homosexuality"

At least he didn't say:
"God delivered me from Judaism"
"God delivered me from being a woman"
"God delivered me from being black"

[sampsonblk]

68. Not this stuff again...

In case you haven't noticed, Obama isn't the only one giving this guy a microphone. The guy is apparently very popular and rakes in millions of dollars from the sheep he preaches to.

Do you think McClurkin is the only one? America is full of big-name preachers who get rich off their flocks. Its stands to reason that most if not all of them believe the same as McClurkin, and it also stands to reason that any candidate would be glad to have any of these big name preachers stump for them.

Its time to stop singling out Obama on this one.

[FredScuttle]

74. So, did Obama really need to hop aboard the "ex-gay" train?

Oh yeah, that's right, he did....because he was trailing Hillary in South Carolina among black voters. But he found his champion in an "ex-gay" clown who said just the right things to a hand-picked audience of bigots and morons to get Obama back in the game, baby! :eyes:

Obama is being singled out because we don't have to speculate about him possibly pandering to bigots by maybe hiring an "ex-gay" clown bigot to spew homophobic filth on his campaign stage.....IT ALL HAPPENED IN OCTOBER AND OBAMA HAS YET TO APOLOGIZE

[sampsonblk]

77. Since you are offended, why not do something about it?

Write a letter to Obama, or to your local paper and complain. If you're dissatisfied with Obama, make some noise. As long as Obama believes this gives him an advantage, he's going to keep doing the same stuff.

[FredScuttle]

86. I did write a letter to the Obama campaign

The reply I got blamed "bad staff work"

[mrreowwr_kittty]

54. No one outside of the blogs knows about it. No one. nt

[FredScuttle]

72. So, "hooray" that Obama's craven pandering to bigots isn't getting wider publicity?

If a Democratic candidate panders to bigots in the woods, does the insult make a sound?

[redqueen]

85. Guess not. (nt)

[killbotfactory]

58. He personally beat my best gay friend to death

and he laughed while he did it.

[Cameron27]

61. That's a pretty sick image

to bring into this debate. I know that you're trying to trivialize this issue, which is bad enough, but that's a horrible way to do it.

[killbotfactory]

66. BUT OBAMA IS A BIGOT

ANYTHING GOES

[Cameron27]

73. Anything goes?

I don't think Obama's a bigot, but I'm disappointed that he used one to pander for votes. What's your excuse for dragging such a hateful image into this argument.

[killbotfactory]

75. It's all true

Okay, maybe it didn't happen to me, but some guy at a blog said a guy who knows Obama said that Obama admitted it to him.

[Bluebear]

91. So this is all a big joke to you. Great.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

84. So do Edwards and Clinton.

Unfortunately.

In fact, Clinton's got a noted homophobe and anti-gay legislator campaigning for her, and she refuses to apologize.

[fightindonkey]

92. OBAMA TOLD GAYS TO RESPECT BIGOTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER

I shit you not!

[Kucinich4America]

95. Hillary Clinton is a LEADER of a homophobic hate pandering group called the DLC

John Edwards is "uncomfortable" with gay marriage.

Guess you better vote for Kucinich.

[Bluebear]

97. But Kucinich released his votes to Obama? Go figure.

[CyberPieHole]

96. K&R for Donnie McClurkin...

though it may not matter to Obama supporters it matters to some of us who require more than lip service (pun unintended) from our candidates.