Obama’s Tightrope Act

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January 22nd, 2008

By Wayne Besen

A few months ago, my organization TuthWinsOut.org caused a national uproar after we criticized Barack Obama for embracing “ex-gay” singer Donnie McClurkin. The Christian crooner was part of Obama’s gospel tour of South Carolina, which was an attempt to lure African American voters away from the Clinton campaign.

Since then, Obama has shown himself to be a legitimate contender and, as a result, has secured much of the black vote in a state where they represent nearly half of all Democratic primary voters. At the same time, the rise of Obama has invigorated - and frightened - many gay voters, who write me each day to express confusion over what his candidacy represents.

Further complicating matters, was Obama’s bold speech on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in front of 2,500 people at Atlanta’s renowned Ebenezer Baptist Church. Instead of pandering to the crowd, Obama used the opportunity to address homophobia in the African American community.

“For most of this country’s history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man,” Obama preached. “And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community. We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them.”


More:

http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/obamas-tightrope-act/#more-342

[mihalevich]

1. you know that ether

Democratic candid will express empathy to the gay a lesbian community. I believe that this life style is heathy, natural,useful, and a way nature controls population explosions in humans and other mammals.

[donheld]

2. Obama has done well by us (Gays} for a long time.

[donheld]

3. kick