I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the controversy over Obama inviting the evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation prayer at his inauguration in January. At first I sort of scoffed at all the political gays who were up in arms about Obama’s decision to include someone so openly hostile toward the homos on this important day. I mean, give the poor man a break – there are too many deeply divisive issues in today’s political landscape to find a speaker who wouldn’t be considered offensive to SOMEONE. He can’t have Wayne Brady lead the prayer for Christ’s sake. And sure, Warren has made statements lumping gays in with child molesters and sibling fuckers, but who hasn’t? As the passage of Proposition 8 reminded us all back in November, there are plenty of people in even the most liberal of states who find us undeserving when it comes to basic human rights because of our deviant lifestyle. Obama gave us a subtle show of support during his first speech as president-elect, let him court the other side in the name of political compromise this time around. Let’s swallow our pride and stand behind him with the hope that bowing our heads for a prayer from a homophobe will buy us some legislation from Washington that will significantly advance our cause – obviously we’re not doing so hot on our own.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the way this controversy is being framed as an issue of political expression is totally disgusting. As Debra J. Saunders, the biggest bitch to ever write for the San Francisco Chronicle self-righteously opined in her column today, “[Opponents of Obama’s decision] demand tolerance from others, but won’t spare any for those with whom they disagree”. What differing “opinion” of Warren’s should we be tolerating Debra J.? His “political belief” that I deserve fewer rights? Has looking at equal rights for homosexuals in the context of gay marriage made it okay for people to masquerade their homophobia as a conscientious political choice rather than bigotry?

Let’s be honest, the debate over gay marriage has less to do with marriage than it does with equality as a whole. We aren’t fighting this so hard because we really dig Pachelbel’s Canon and ill-fitting bridesmaid’s dresses – seriously all that shit scares me – we’re fighting it because denying us this basic right devalues our relationships and demeans us as citizens and humans. So when someone “disagrees” with gay marriage, as much as they may hem and haw about their religion and traditional views of this sacred union, the root of their “disagreement” is homophobia. And even if they “do not have a problem with gays personally”, their willingness to deny me rights because of something so unalterable and fundamental a part of my being seems very personal indeed.

Homophobia is not a political issue the same way racism is not a political issue. I think we can all agree that it is not a political opinion to think that a marriage between a white person and a black person should deserve less standing under the law – it’s just bigotry – and until 1967, interracial unions were as illegal and frowned upon by Warren’s “5,000 year definition of marriage” as gay marriages are today. If Rick Warren were a racist, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion because he would be so politically irrelevant and off-limits that he never would have even been considered, let alone respected as a public figure.

I’m over feeling like I should be tolerant of homophobia because the gay marriage context makes my orientation a “hot button issue” rather than a matter of basic human rights. Fuck anyone who tries to tell me to be tolerant of Warren just because he’s also done some non-asshole things during his career; his prejudice is still not okay and the fact that everyone is making me feel guilty for being offended by this makes me want to barf in my mouth a little.

PS – Debra J., your smug, all-knowing smirk in your column picture doesn’t make you look mysteriously wise, it makes you look constipated. Congratulations on managing to present so offensive an argument that I switched sides on the Warren debate despite being in total agreement with you prior to reading your column. That’s just impressive journalism.

Debra J., you dog! That man's a Christian!