More about the anti marriage equality DNC faith outreach chair

[dsc]

http://gay.americablog.com/2011/10/dnc-faith-director-signed-pro-gay.html

Now here is the pledge that Dr. Harkins signed two years ago - I've bolded the salient parts:

Declaration of Religious Support for Marriage Equality

We are District of Columbia clergy and religious leaders of many faiths, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. We represent religious institutions in every ward in the District. We have worked together over many years for peace and justice and now join our voices again to speak a faithful word for freedom and equality.

We declare that our faith calls us to affirm marriage equality for loving same-sex couples.

Our religious traditions and scriptures teach us that wherever love is present, God is also present. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is our human capacity to love one another. The ability of two people to enter into relationships and form families of love care is one expression of this gift. It is holy and good. We therefore affirm the right of loving same-gender couples to enter into such relationships on an equal basis with loving heterosexual couples.

We recognize that there are principled differences on this issue within the religious community. We affirm that the state should not require any religious group to officiate at, or bless, same-gender marriages. However, the state also should not favor the convictions of one religious group over another by denying individuals their fundamental civil right to marry whom they love.

Recognizing that there is heartfelt disagreement on this issue, we call on all people of the District of Columbia to engage in a respectful and loving dialogue on marriage equality. As religious leaders, we commit ourselves to such a dialogue and encourage our colleagues on all sides of this issue to do the same.

God is love and love is for everyone. In this spirit we raise our voices in the struggle for the right and freedom to marry.

So he was for marriage equality two years ago but now is against it (only after getting this job). It is bad enough for the DNC to have appointed an anti marriage equality minister to head its faith outreach, but now we see that he was apparently forced to change his position on this to get the job. That is really disappointing. If this is what happened, Ms. Wasserman-Schultz needs to go and Obama needs to find a non bigot to head our party.

[NMMNG]

1. I rec'd it and it's still at 0

Apparently some people here are against facts, or marriage equality, or both. :shrug:

[Bluenorthwest]

2. As always, the hypocrisy defines the haters

So this man signed this, and now says the opposite. His religious scripture from which he draws his anti minority views demands of him an exacting accuracy in speech, spin, flip flopping,these things are forbidden, Jesus said they come from EVIL no less. So this character says whatever gets him his next dollar, while claiming to uphold the book. Scummy con man, hypocrite,the pinnacle of the faith community's devotion and decency,this man is the definition of his community.
Debbie needs to step down at once.
This is our Party too, if you still want the vote, deb.

[NMMNG]

3. Maybe he'll eventually evolve back to where he once was.

Like when he retires and it has no chance of affecting Obama's re-election, human rights, or anything else of importance.

[blkmusclmachine]

4. Looks like the Rev. just climbed aboard the bipartisan bandwagon.

n/t

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[ruggerson]

6. It would be nice if some of the more vocal Obama supporters nationwide

spoke up and, without hedging, condemned this.

We are all on the same side. Those who opopose marriage equality are bigots, plain and simple, and do not deserve to be lauded or appointed to positions of influence in the Democratic party.

Why is it so hard to stand together on this?

[Tesha]

7. If Obama took that stand, several people might not like him.

He has a pathological need to be liked by the folks
who wish him dead (at least politically speaking)
and will never like him no matter what he does.

Tesha

[yardwork]

8. But apparently it's no problem that he disappoints gay people, who represent a key base of the Party

What's that about? GLBTQ vote Democratic 70-80% of the time, but we're tossed under the bus without thought. Our votes are taken for granted while Obama and the DNC chase after right-wing bigots who will never, ever vote Democratic. It's insulting.

[Tesha]

9. The DLC/Turd Wave has been discounting the needs of traditional Democratic Constituencies...

...since their inception, assuming we'd always have
"nowhere to go".

It will be interesting to see if this holds true...

Tesha

[Prism]

10. Proof of the maliciousness of the appointment

I suppose it is one thing if someone sincerely holds a belief against gay marriage. I disagree with it vigorously, but at least you know your enemy, so to speak.

It's something else entirely to cynically adopt opposition to equality for political purposes. That strikes me somehow as more vile. It's an open, willful, joyful embrace of evil for the sake of power.

I wonder if 2012 is going to have its McClurkinesque fiascoes. As if the DNC and the Obama campaign are going to figure "Well, we've done enough. The gays will vote for us. We can get away with this stuff."

Yeah, think again, bub. If they McClurkin it up this go around, I will eagerly withhold my vote.

[yardwork]

11. What puzzles me is what they hope to gain from it. I really don't get it.

Yes, a majority of fundamentalist evangelical voters are against equal marriage. I get that. I also know that there is no way that they will ever vote for a Democrat for president. These are one-issue voters and the issue ain't gay rights. It's abortion. These are the people who never benefit in any way from Republican policies. They vote against Democrats anyway because of abortion. These are the 10% of black people who vote Republican. Abortion.

Jumping up and down and saying "I hate gay people too!" will not lure one single vote from the fundamentalist evangelicals. It does disillusion and de-motivate the Democratic base. Bad strategy. Very bad.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[MNBrewer]

13. And the DLC Gay liaison blows sunshine up our asses regarding it, too

Insult to injury.