Barack Obama/on homosexuality and gay rights

George W. Bush spiritual advisor = Obama endorser
On January 19, 2008, George W. Bush's spiritual advisor, Rev. Kirbyjon H. Caldwell, Senior Pastor of Kingdom Builders of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Texas, endorsed Barack Obama and "will campaign on his behalf." Caldwell heads the Metanoia ministry, "a program created to provide Christ Centered instruction for those seeking freedom from homosexuality, lesbianism, prostitution, sex addiction and other habitual sins."

Rev. Caldwell accompanied Obama on his weekend campaign tour [see below] in Columbia, S.C., in late October 2007.

Related external articles

 * Big Tent Democrat, "New Obama Endorsement By Anti-Gay Pastor," Talk Left, January 20, 2008.
 * John Aravosis, "Obama and Gays," AMERICAblog, January 21, 2008.

Obama won't pull anti-gay bigot from campaign event
Obama refuses to pull Donnie McClurkin, "a black preacher who sang at the Republican National Convention in 2004, [who] has gained notoriety for his view that homosexuality is a choice and can be 'cured through prayer', a view ridiculed by gay people", from his Embrace the Change campaign gospel concert tour October 26, 27 and 28, 2007, in Charleston, Greenwood, and Columbia, South Carolina, respectively.

"Obama released a statement denouncing McClurkin's views, but did not say he wouldn't appear with him."

Also appearing with Obama are the gospel singers sisters duo Mary Mary. Jasmyne Cannick wrote October 23, 2007, that Mary Mary "made it crystal clear earlier this year in an interview with Vibe Magazine how they felt about gays. When asked how they felt about homosexuality and having a gay following they likened gays to prostitutes and murderers."

National LGBT Leadership Council
On August 20, 2007, Obama announced the formation of his National LGBT Leadership Council:


 * Stampp Corbin, National LGBT Liaison, Obama for America; Former Human Rights Campaign Board Member; High Tech Entrepreneur
 * Terje Anderson, VT, Former Executive Director for the National Association of People with AIDS
 * Tom Barbera, NH, Board Member, Bay State Stonewall Democrats and Vice Chair, SEIU National Lavendar Caucus
 * Paris Barclay, CA, Emmy Award Winning Producer and Director
 * Michael Bauer, IL, Community Activist
 * Tommy Bennett, IL, Radio Personality, Tom Joyner Show
 * Rosalyn Bugg, CA, Community Organizer
 * Phil Burgess, IL, National Director, Pharmacy Affairs, Walgreens
 * Ed Butler, NH, State Representative
 * Beth Bye, CT, Connecticut State Assemblywoman
 * Thomas Chaderjian, IL, Stonewall Democrats
 * Gary Cloutier, CA, Councilmember and Vice Mayor, Vallejo
 * Jon Cooper, NY, Suffolk County Legislature Majority Leader
 * Craig Covery, MI, Councilman, Ferndale City
 * Terry Crow, MO, Attorney
 * Chris Diebel, IA, Business Leader
 * Karla Drenner, GA, State Representative
 * Bevan Dufty, CA, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
 * Rick Garcia, IL, Director, Equality Illinois
 * Carlos Garza, IA, Chair, Des Moines Pride
 * Richard Gordon, Supervisor, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
 * Nancy Greaney, NH, PFLAG New Hampshire
 * Greg Harris, IL, State Representative
 * Wendy Howell, VT, Community Organizer
 * Chris Hughes, IL, Founder, Facebook; Obama Campaign Director of Online Organizing
 * Harold Janeway, NH, State Senator, PFLAG Member
 * Vincent Jones, CA, Executive Director, Center for Health Justice
 * Nicole LeFavour, ID, State Representative
 * Ed Lehman, CA, Union Organizer
 * Robert Lilligren, MN, VP, Minneapolis City Council
 * Gordene Mackenzie, MA, MA Transgender Political Coalition
 * Sharon Malheiro, IA, Activist
 * Timothy Patrick McCarthy, MA, Harvard University
 * Darryl Moore, CA, Berkeley City Council Member
 * Ed Murray, WA, State Senator
 * Nancy Nangeroni, MA, MA Transgender Political Coalition
 * Michael Noll, CA, Vice Mayor, Signal Hill
 * Renae Ogletree, IL, Community Organizer
 * Paul Provost, MN, Business Manager
 * Rebecca Prozan, CA, Chair, Alice B. Toklas Club
 * Nicole M. Ramirez, CA, City Commissioner, San Diego
 * Tonyia M. Rawles, CA, Bishop-Elect, Unity Fellowship Church Movement
 * Donna Red Wing, CO, Activist
 * Dr. Penny Robbins, IL, Reverend
 * Gene Robinson, NH, Bishop
 * Robert Ryken, IL, Attorney
 * Deborah Shore, IL, Commissioner, Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
 * Stephen Smith, CA, Former DNC Member
 * Eric Tabor, IA, Chief of Staff, Attorney General Tom Miller
 * Maxim Thorne, NJ, Former Executive Director, Head Start New Jersey
 * Dr. Leanne Tigert, MA, Minister
 * Lew Todd, NY, Founding Member, Stonewall Democratic Club, Gay Activists Alliance, National Gay Task Force
 * Tom Tunney, IL, Chicago Alderman
 * David Upthegrove, WA, State Representative
 * Tawnee Walling, NH, Director of Seacoast Outright
 * Gene Webb, IL, University of Chicago
 * Richard A. Wilson, IL, Chair, National Lesbian and Gay Law Association
 * Tobias Barrington Wolff, PA, University of Pennsylvania Law School

Controversy: Council adviser Michael Bauer
Michael Bauer, a "top Democratic fundraiser in Chicago and gay activist, considers himself one of Obama's top gay backers nationally."

During the March 2007 Democratic presidential debate, Obama stumbled in his "initial statements when asked whether he believed gay acts are immoral, a view asserted a few days earlier by Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, when asked by the [Chicago] Tribune about the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy." Bauer said at the time that "the senator's initial responses to the morality question left him shaken and disappointed" and "declined to comment for the record on whether Obama's stance would hurt his fundraising among gays, lesbians and progressives."

As a result, in August 2007 Bauer became "part of Obama's National LGBT Leadership Council", "advising him on gay issues," Tahman Bradley wrote in August 2007 for the Political Radar Blog.

Bradley identified Bauer as a registered lobbyist with Res Publica Group, "a Chicago based firm that serves corporate and noncorporate clients." No federal lobbyist registration for Bauer exists with Res Publica, although he is registered as a lobbyist with the state of Illinois.

"The Obama campaign lists Bauer as a community activist," Bradley wrote.

Identified in a May 2007 Chicago Sun-Times article as a consultant to Res Publica, Bauer was considered a possible liability to the Obama campaign:


 * "One faction wants Obama to oust fund-raiser Michael Bauer from his finance committee and from a panel that advises the campaign on gay and lesbian issues.


 * "The other faction respects Bauer as a nationally known fund-raiser who serves on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's finance committee as well as Obama's and Sen. Dick Durbin's. He was a delegate to the 2000 and 2004 Democratic National conventions.


 * "Bauer’s critics note he is serving the seventh month of a nine-month suspension of his law license for taking $300,000 from his nieces' and nephew's trust fund. The nieces and nephew sued to have Bauer removed as trustee, saying he would not tell them what he did with the money. Bauer was never charged with any crime.


 * "During the same time he was taking money from the trust fund, his donations to national and local candidates totaled $300,000. But Bauer said the trust fund money went into his failing court-reporting business, not into donations."

The Sun-Times added that Bauer "rival" and "strong Obama supporter" Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois, "one of seven politically active gays who told the Sun-Times Obama should dump Bauer", said that he had "conveyed my concerns" about Bauer "to Obama’s people as far back as a year ago and as recently as April [2007]."

"'It’s like the [Tony] Rezko thing: It’s association with someone he perceives might be able to do him some good, but somebody who has a tarnished image,' said Louis Weisberg, founding editor of the gay-oriented Free Press. 'Between Rezko and Bauer, I wouldn’t vote for Obama. I question his judgment.'"

In spite of appeals from members of the gay community, "Obama is standing by Bauer, who raised $60,000 for him this year," the Sun-Times said in May 2007.

External articles

 * Glenn Thrush, "Clinton, Obama skirt queries on gays in the military," Newsday, March 14, 2007.
 * Patrick Healy, "Clinton, Obama and Gays," The Caucus Blog/New York Times, March 14, 2007.
 * Glenn Thrush, "Clinton, Obama: Gays not immoral," Newsday, March 15, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Hillary and Obama flub 'is homosexuality immoral' question; Edwards does okay"; "Gay group to Hillary and Obama: We're not happy"; and "Hillary: Homosexuality is not immoral," AMERICAblog, March 15, 2007.
 * Teddy Davis, "Would Obama Position Spread Same-Sex Marriage?" Political Radar Blog/ABC News, August 10, 2007.
 * Nedra Pickler, "Obama Wants Official Fired for Comments," Associated Press (BarackObama.com), October 19, 2007.
 * Sarah Wheaton, "Obama’s Gospel Tour," The Caucus Blog/New York Times, October 19, 2007.
 * Earl Ofari Hutchinson, "Obama Should Repudiate and Cancel His Gay Bash Tour, and Do It Now," The Huffington Post, October 20, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Obama to do gospel tour with radical right singer who crusades against 'the curse of homosexuality'," AMERICAblog, October 20, 2007.
 * Pam Spaulding, "Why is Obama touring with 'ex-gay' homophobe Donnie McClurkin?" Pam's House Blend Blog, October 21, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "So will Obama fire the bigot in his own eye?" AMERICAblog, October 21, 2007.
 * Mike Dorning, "Obama, the Gospel Singer and Gays," The Swamp Blog/Chicago Tribune, October 22, 2007.
 * Truth Wins Out, "Truth Wins Out Calls on Barack Obama to Immediately Cut Ties With 'Ex-Gay' Preacher Who Rails Against Homosexuality," PRNewswire-USNewswire (Earthtimes.org), October 22, 2007.
 * Corky, "Obama Should Repudiate and Cancel His Gay Bash Tour, and Do It Now," Drudge Retort, October 22, 2007.
 * Todd Beeton, "Did Obama Just Lose The Gay Vote?" MyDD, October 22, 2007.
 * "Obama Reaching Out to Anti-Gays," Queerty.com, October 22, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Obama says won't pull anti-gay bigot from big campaign event," AMERICAblog, October 22, 2007.
 * Sarah Lai Stirland, "Obama Blogger Debate Rages Over Anti-Gay Gospel Singer's Inclusion in Campaign," Threat Level Blog/WIRED, October 23, 2007.
 * Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence, "Obama under fire for gospel tour with anti-gay singer," On Politics/USA TODAY, October 23, 2007.
 * Chris Kromm, "Obama's anti-gay South Carolina road show," Facing South Blog/Institute for Southern Studies, October 23, 2007.
 * "Obama Comes Out About Anti-Gay Gospel Ally. Releases Hollow Statement," Queerty.com, October 23, 2007.
 * Truth Wins Out, "Truth Wins Out Calls Barack Obama’s Statement On Anti-Gay Gospel Singer Donnie McClurkin Inadequate And Disappointing," Truth Wins Out, October 23, 2007.
 * Steve Benen, "The problem with Obama’s ‘gospel tour’," The Carpetbagger Report, October 23, 2007.
 * Pam Spaulding, "Donnie McClurkin isn't the only homophobe on the bill with Obama," Pam's House Blend, October 23, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Reader mail on Obama's embrace of anti-gay bigot McClurkin. It ain't pretty," AMERICAblog, October 23, 2007.
 * Ben Smith, "Obama trying to put out gay fire," The Politico, October 23, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Obama needs to explain his hypocrisy on asking for Justice Dept official to be fired," AMERICAblog, October 23, 2007.
 * Alexander Bolton, "Obama pressured on gay ‘cure’ preacher," The Hill, October 24, 2007. re Human Rights Campaign
 * Wayne Besen, "Obama's Missed Opportunity," Truth Wins Out, October 24, 2007.
 * Kelley L. Carter, "Gospel singer says he is not anti-gay," Chicago Tribune, October 24, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Obama supporter: 'I'm not in the mood to play with those who are trying to kill our children'," AMERICAblog, October 24, 2007.
 * John Ridley, "Donnie McClurkin and Perfecting Gays," The Huffington Post, October 24, 2007.
 * Ben Smith, "Gay minister to open Obama gospel shows," The Politico, October 24, 2007.
 * "Obama adds openly gay minister to counter McClurkin furor," Towleroad.com, October 24, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "HRC tells Obama that religious right activist bigot shouldn't share a stage with any presidential candidate," AMERICAblog, October 24, 2007.
 * Katharine Q. Seelye, "Gay Rights Group Criticizes Obama," New York Times, October 25, 2007.
 * Earl Ofari Hutchinson, "Why Barack Won't Dump McClurkin: It's Cynical Politics Baby Pure and Simple," The Huffington Post, October 25, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Obama: A great many African-Americans agree that homosexuality is 'a curse' and that gays are 'trying to kill our children'," AMERICAblog, October 25, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Gay preacher that Obama invited to educate blacks about homophobia is white," AMERICAblog, October 25, 2007.
 * "Obama’s Crap Sandwich, With Extra Homo," The Republic of T Blog, October 25, 2007.
 * Pam Spaulding, "Mike Signorile show today at 4:30: gay pastor slated to open Obama/McClurkin concerts," Pam's House Blend Blog, October 25, 2007.