Comments on: Obama team "regrets" that gay bishop's prayer was not broadcast

By: darkmoonman

darkmoonman — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:44:46 +0000

All the evidence available points to these events – the lack of identification of the Gay Men's Chorus when all other performers and backup were identified, and the non-broadcasting of Bishop Robinson's prayer – were intentional, whether instigated by Obama himself or by his Inauguration Comittee. I myself voted for Obama and I hoped for more, but that does not mean I in any way support any such attempts to return Gays to being in visible. Maybe – just maybe – this will spur my fellows to realise that we ourselves must fight for our rights.

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By: LS

LS — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:04:45 +0000

Obviously Olivetree is an Obama nut, and probably either working on the campaign or as a volunteer, because this blind defensiveness over any criticism of him is what I've been encountering all along.

HBO put out a counter statement that it was Obama's camp that told THEM when to start the broadcast.

I've had hope for years, honey, probably longer than you've been alive. I'm too old. I need action.

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By: Olivetree

Olivetree — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:20:29 +0000

LS, you're a little bit cynical and very scared- I feel sorry for you that you cannot have faith and a little hope. Everybody's make a big to-do about how Obama is ignoring the gay community, but hello, it was HBO that didn't broadcast the thing! Let's call a spade a spade- you want to yell at someone, yell at the stupid American media.

As to the DC Gay Men's Chorus, if they knew the name of the group, the audience knew they were gay. I'm glad they didn't make a big deal about "Ooh, we have some gay guys singing, too," b/c then they would have to announce that everyone else is straight. No one made a big deal about the fact that there were black people and women singing. It would have been pretty weird if an announcer said, "And now we have the Gay Men's Chorus- yes, they're men who have sex with men. Let's have some applause for these people and celebrate the fact that we finally have out people featured in an inaugural concert. And let's have some awkward turtles, too, for good measure." Yeah, no one went up and went through a resume for each singer, b/c that would have been ridiculous. The Chorus got equal treatment- and equal means, "We won't make a big deal out of what your are, b/c whatever you are is ok as long as you're not breaking the law."

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By: LS

LS — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:48:57 +0000

I'm really not surprised by any of this. Still extremely ANGRY, though. The right thing would be to bring him on again, today, but that will never happen. My complaints about these types of issues in relation to Obama, pre-election, fell on deaf ears. I never had any hope in him and there certainly won't be much change for our community.

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By: Zefrog

Zefrog — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:51:45 +0000

Apparently the DC Gay Men's Chorus who were singing did not get a proper credit… ie the audience didn't know they were a gay choir…
don't ask, don't tell, anyone?

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