Coming to Our Senses

Finally, Andrew Sullivan stops being so ridiculous and acknowledges that the LGBT community doesn’t have to overreact to every perceived slight. He’s starting to figure out that maybe the best way to dialogue with the faith community isn’t by staging aggressive rallies outside their places of worship.

As Sullivan writes today, “The truth is: if we cannot engage a Rick Warren on the question of our equality, we may secure a narrow and bitter victory in some states (just as the Christianists won a narrow and bitter victory in California in November). But we will not win the bigger argument and our victories will lack the moral legitimacy they deserve.”

After the passing of Prop 8, our community could have taken the high ground: candlelight vigils, community organizing by making a passionate, thoughtful case for our rights. We didn’t. We just yelled and screamed and stomped our feet.

Our reaction to Rick Warren, yesterday was no different. Every single gay rights organization, having proven recently they couldn’t stop a proposition from passing, proved they could at least send out an angry press release condemning Obama’s choice. What had Obama done to them? Had he changed his policy at all toward LGBT equality? No, he had just invited a friend of his to speak at his Inauguration. A friend who is seen by most Americans as a pretty normal guy. Heck, he’s sold 20 million books and given a TED Talk. This guy isn’t that out of the mainstream.

I’m glad Obama can embrace Rick Warren and work with him on things they agree on — climate change, global poverty, and supporting education efforts around the world. It’s so nice to have an adult in charge for once.