Gene Robinson update: Presidential Inauguration Committee says invocation was supposed to be broadcast. Might it be tomorrow?
Late last night AfterElton.com reported that HBO, which had broadcast The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial Sunday afternoon — a concert organized by the Presidential Inauguration Committee to start the inauguration festivities — said they were not to blame for the exclusion of Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson's prayer delivered just before the concert started. The Presidential Inauguration Committee just issued a statement saying, "We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson’s invocation to be included in the televised portion of yesterday’s program. We regret the error in executing this plan – but are gratified that hundreds of thousands of people who gathered on the mall heard his eloquent prayer for our nation that was a fitting start to our event.” — PIC communications director Josh Earnest. I'm also hearing that Robinson's invocation might be broadcast tomorrow on the jumbotron screens placed around the mall for the inauguration ceremony. That would be a smart gesture by PIC and would go some ways toward making up for this.
HBO has also given PIC permission to post Rev. Robinson's prayer on their website, but we're waiting for word when that will happen. As for the people helming Obama's PIC, their claim that this was simply a miscommunication and that Robinson's prayer was meant to be included is impossible to verify. The only thing for certain is that they have stepped in it again and made many in the gay community (and some in the straight community) ever more skeptical of this administration's attitude toward gay people. For what it's worth, I still don't think Obama is trying hide his gay constituency from the rest of America or to throw us under the bus. He included the GLBT community in his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination and again when he addressed crowds yesterday in D.C. Do I disagree with his selection of Rick Warren to deliver tomorrow's invocation? Absolutely. Do I think somebody in the PIC blew the coverage of Robinson's invocation? Again, absolutely. But for me the jury is still out as to whether Obama will come through on the issues that really matter to our community. What do you think? Submitted by on Mon, 2009-01-19 14:54. |
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OK, it was probably carelessness
I've spent a whole lot of the last 24 hours fuming over this, and commenting more in blogs than I normally do in months. I'm kind of tired of being mad about something that long term, probably doesn't matter. Doesn't change the fact that I'm still mad. Michael's probably right - this was probably carelessness on the part of somebody on the PIC, not something done with malice. And it still bothers me that we're a constituency they feel they can be careless with repeatedly.
I'll probably quit commenting and funing until later. This followup is the firt new info in hours, and likely to be the last. But I do think I'll make it a point to see if there's a fiesty, ticked-off lesbian on cables news tonight at 9pm. She was delightfully insane about Warren, and had Robinson on for an exclusive the day this was announced. 9pm tonight should be fun. ;)
microphone malfunction
The sound sucked throughout, honestly
No need to look further
Ed, I am your fuming lesbian.
Michael, thanks so much for the continued update. I hope you get some rest soon. If it offers any comfort, I have been watching web news since 6:30-am est and it's now 3:30. Just tracking and posting updates to my blog along with the YouTube video of Bishop Robinson's prayer.
But I think it is absolutely essential that whether
Thank you for your diligence, Michael
I, for one, truly appreciate all you have done on this (and so many other issues).
I e-mailed everyone I could think of about this after the rebroadcast at 7pm yesterday - just to see if there was an error in the original broadcast. I don't think this was at all an HBO decision (they had wiggle time between their last movie and 2:30 start of the broadcast - I tuned in early). At that point, I didn't think it was something GLAAD would address.
Did the PIC happen to say if the prayer by Bishop Robinson on the jumbotrons would be picked up by media outlets? Replaying it for the people at the inauguration is fine, but what about the millions watching at home?
Between being thrown under the bus in four states on election day, the Warren debacle, and this, it is very difficult to feel any enthusiasm at all for this historic inauguration - and I feel a bit cheated. I am not so sure that Clinton bus isn't garaged somewhere near the White House. You have no idea how much I hope I am wrong about that.
My pleasure! It is what I get paid for though
Thanks Michael.
Permission?
HBO has given the committee permission for a PRAYER at their own damn event to be posted on their own site? Someone needs to be beaten severaly.
Yes it probably was carelessness, but such frequent carelessness suggests something about how seriously the community and its issues are taken and it's not a good sign. I'm waiting to see what substance is going to come out of the administration before rendering judgment, but it's not looking good.
Robinson omission
PIC is claiming that this
PIC is claiming that this was simply case of miscommunication; That PIC meant to have Gene Robinson's invocation as part of the broadcast...that they are happy that people at least heard it...except they didnt Gene Robinson's mic was also cut
HBO isn't off the hook either unless they can some how blame PIC for not introducing/nor identifying the Washington DC Gay Men’s Choir
For the Record
With the exception of the US Naval Glee Club (who were introduced by Tiger Woods), no other choir or background group was identified.
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"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught inan inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment ofdestiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." - MLK
From NPR
Gene Robinson talked about it today on Talk of the Nation. The audio's not up yet, but here's how TV critic Aaron Barnhart described the conversation:
Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson just addressed the issue on NPR's Talk of the Nation. He said he had been in interviews all morning and no one -- certainly not Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC -- mentioned the snub. "I know very little about it," said Robinson before telling host Neal Conan how he learned the news: "I had a delightful day meeting all the other participants in the program. ... A little later in the morning I happened to see a schedule," and it showed him giving the invocation at 2:25 and HBO cameras going live at 2:30 p.m. Robinson said he had "no idea" why it was scheduled this way but postulated, "The fact of the matter is HBO is an entertainment station and perhaps an executive at HBO thought, 'Well, who would possibly be interested in a prayer? People are tuning in to see Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder." As you will read below, HBO officials made it clear that they had nothing to do with the scheduling. Also, a caller to "Talk of the Nation" called in to confirm that NPR did not air the invocation, either.
Robinson on The Daily Show
Bishop Robinson is scheduled to be a guest on The Daily Show tomorrow (Tuesday). I wonder if Jon Stewart will ask him about this whole thing.
Does anyone know what happened with CSPAN's lack of coverage of Sunday's events? They were supposed to broadcast the events from the Lincoln Memorial from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (it was listed on CSPAN's website). I recorded it because I thought it was the best chance to see Robinson's invocation, only to find that they didn't air any of it.
I think we're kind of awesome
Watch Robinson's invocation on Youtube
No such thing as miscommunication
Who Cares? Really!
Do they care?
Gallup.com reports that the opposition to Warrens invocation is slight.
52% percent say they don't know enough to have an opinion either way. Of the other 48% those who approve outweigh those who disapprove 39% to 9%.
Do we care?
Dr. Rodney Powell, a board member of Faith In America, an advocacy group that targets religion-based bigotry against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In response to Warren speaking recently at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church to commemorate Rev. Martin Luther King Jr he wrote to Warren: "Your religious beliefs do not give you the right to oppress gay Americans and encode your religious beliefs into customs and codify them into laws that deny equal civil rights and first-class citizenship to other Americans."
Powel's reading of his letter on youtube.
Why should we care?
Warren describes his Saddleback church as a mere testing ground, a laboratory for his vision of slaying "the global giants." He encourages his followers to model themselves after Hitler Youth ('Brown Shirts'), to take over the world (like 'Lenin' and 'Mao nearly did') and to do "what ever it takes" in order for his church to dominate the world ('training 400,000 church's world wide' for his 'revolution') with his self described "radical" vision. Warren does not believe in cooperation. Angrily saying, "Moderate people get moderately nothing done." Comparing his crowd of 30,000 followers to a Nazi youth rally, and compelling them all to take a similar oath, while trying to subdue his Hitleresque rage is chilling, as if he were compelling them to take the reins dropped by Hitler, but exterminate the correct people this time.
YouTube: Rick Warren 2005 speech in Angel's Stadium.
this is the man Obama asked to bless him and the Nation.
Jury still out ??
I'm a little shocked that you can say "the jury is still out as to whether Obama will come through on the issues that really matter to our community"
He's against same sex marriage, what bigger issue do you need than a matter of equal rights?
Now he's allowing Rick Warren a national platform, and Warren is not just against same sex marriage, he's been very vocal against it. But the Reverend Wright fiasco already demonstrated to us that Obama is a poor judge of character.
What's actually far worse for me is that he is a religious fanatic, and as long as one is influenced by religion, one can never allow people freedom of choice. Obama believes in the made up stories, passed around for centuries, as God's law!
Don't expect anything significant from a man who is willing to inject so much religion into politics, heck, we've got two reverends delivering prayer's before he is even inaugurated. Enough already.
Philip - Welcome to
Philip - Welcome to AE.
Having said that, I have to take issue with two of your perspectives that make no sense to me. First, your comment about same sex marriage. To you and me it's a no-brainer. But a majority of the country is against it, and there has NEVER been a serious presidential candidate who is for it. Obama would not be president if he had come out for it. I've said before I think deep down he's for it, but knows he can't get away with it in politics today. So to say that because he's against it he has no chance to come through on other issues just has no logic behind it. I know str8 people who are totally supportive of gay rights issues EXCEPT for marriage. It makes no sense to me really, but that doesn't change the reality.
Second, to say that one can't be religious and allow people freedom of choice is not logical or based on fact. All you have to do is believe in separation of church and state, as millions of Americans do. Further, if you're counting on non-religious people to lead you to the promised land you'll be waiting a long time. A huge majority of Americans are religious. And it's sad but true that an atheist would have zero chance of becoming president in today's America.
And don't forget that some of our best friends are religious. Aren't there multiple religious organizations marching in your Pride parade every year?
Yeah, And The Check's In The Mail, Too!
. . .please cease in insulting our intelligence.
It's Clinton All Over Again
Bill Clinton said that he felt our pain. He then turned around and proceeded to institute "Don't Ask Don't Tell," had gay rights activists visiting the WH and their possessions searched with rubber gloves even though heterosexual visitors were not subjected to the same and let us not forget the Defense of Marriage Act. To name a few.
Obama has FILLED his administration with Clintonistas. This has their fingerprints all over it.
I'm from chicago and had great respect for Obama. However, since he started with his transition, he seems to have listened to them as opposed to those who actually got him elected. I would love to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. And I would love to be proved wrong. But I think we're in for Clinton III. Get ready to get screwed without lube.
This wasn't an unfortunate error. Rev. Robinson wasn't invited until the furor over Rick Warren had reached a fevor pitch on the blogosphere. We need to keep a fever pitch over this. It's not only insulting to his gay supporters, it's insulting to Rev. Robinson. How convenient that both HBO and the PIC can point fingers at each other and we can't file a FOIA request to see who's lying...I suspect they both are.
AfterElton quoted on The Rachel Maddow Show
Rachel Maddow reported on the whole thing tonight and quoted AfterElton. You can watch the clip here -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#28740984
my respect for Rachel Maddow grows every day
Educated, knowledgeable, exceptional communicator. More people need to hear her speak. Forget Campbell Brown. When I want someone who can cut through the BS, I'll turn to Rachel Maddow.
Thanks for the link.
Rachel Maddow!!!
. . . like buttah!
Sweet as halvah yet full of bite. . .
. . .now, she cuts the mustard.
Update
If you're not already, you should definitely add Bishop Robinson's blog to your reading list: http://canterburytalesfromthefringe.blogspot.com/
Yesterday, he posted about the events at the Lincoln Memorial, including saying a private prayer with U2, at Bono's request, before they performed. Most recent post: