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Monday, December 22, 2008

John Aravosis on Rick Warren

Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 at 11:08 AM

John Aravosis:

I've been scratching my head for several days now, trying to figure out why practically every news story about Rick Warren explains that he's not anti-gay, and in fact quite progressive and moderate, because he's worked on AIDS in Africa. Well, bully for him. But there are two problems there:

1. I'm not African; and

2. AIDS in Africa is a predominantly heterosexual disease.

There's a reason that evangelicals work on AIDS in Africa. Because that way they don't have to deal with the "gay" ick-factor. And even better, as Jesse Helms once said—Helms was also a big fan of working on AIDS in Africa—the African AIDS crisis is especially affecting a large number of children, the "innocent victims," as Helms called them.

So, yes, right-wing bigots like to work on AIDS in Africa because there's no major homo component to the disease over there, and even better, a number of the "victims" are "innocent," unlike the "guilty" AIDS sufferers in America who are g-a-y.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for anyone who wants to help the AIDS crisis in Africa. But spare us the condescending crap about how Rick Warren is a friend of gay Americans because he works on a heterosexual disease in a continent far far away.

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Well, if you saw Dateline on Friday where Ann Curry interviewed the Pastor, you would now he apparently IS anti-gay in his own sick way.

I believe he stated that homosexuality is a matter of impulse control and "he wants to have sex with every beautiful woman he sees, but he doesn't...". He supported the ban on gay marriage, which I don't believe was about promiscuity, but about love and supporting another person with whom you are in a primary human relationship.

So, all of what you say is fine...but his views and his prejudice is way worse than his stance on AIDS. I thought that believing in GOD meant you love one another, not single people out and decide who is better and who is worse. Not a great message coming from someone who says he delivers "The Word".

And, worst of all---shame on Obama. I know we all think we were part of a great thing in this election, but its not perfect. Case in point---choice of Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer.

Posted by RoriH on December 22, 2008 at 12:27 PM | Report this comment

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