The Plot Thickens For Obama on McClurkin

Via Aravosis, HRC weighs in:

The nation’s biggest gay rights group is trying to force Sen. Barrack Obama (D-Ill.) to cancel presidential campaign event with a controversial preacher who claims he was homosexual but has been cured. The Human Rights Campaign has expressed its strong reservations to Obama over his campaign-sponsored tour that features gospel singer Donnie McClurkin. The influential organization, representing a powerful Democratic constituency, let Obama’s campaign know that it would issue a public demand if Obama did not immediately cancel the event, said a person who had been briefed on the exchange….

See also this:

A gay rights group has urged Barack Obama to cut ties with a gospel singer who it says spreads false information about homosexuality being a choice.Donnie McClurkin is among several gospel singers scheduled to raise money for the Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate at a concert in South Carolina this weekend. McClurkin has drawn attention from gay rights activists for his views on homosexuality.

“We strongly urge Obama to part ways with this divisive preacher who is clearly singing a different tune than the stated message of the campaign,” Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, said in a statement.

70 comments

Skip to comment form

  1. This is the kind of diary that makes the wreck list on this subject over at DailyKos. Apparently being critical of Obama over this means one has a ‘problem’ with black people.

  2. He should have done that in the first place, but now he gets lots of bad publicity.

    There’s a remark in the article about how bad Obama’s team is. Quite.

    • Armando on October 24, 2007 at 03:52
      Author

    I know how to spell Barack. The Hill does not apparently.

  3. He told AP Radio in an interview that September that he was “once involved with those desires and those thoughts,” which he attributed to being raped at 8 and 13.

    “That’s what thrust me into it, and then God delivered me from that and gave me back who I really am and my true purpose,” McClurkin said.

    Right, child rape makes people gay. Eek!

  4. But I reformed when I realized I had a penis. I DO still like women, though.

    But I have no idea why. They are very strange people. Sometimes I WISH I had a choice!

    (Q? Did I manage to offend enough people there, or should I throw in a gratuitous remark about Black people too?)

  5. for candidates hoping to represent diverse progressive values.  Too bad for them it is no longer fashionable to act like a Democrat, much less a progressive Democrat.  Obama should dump the guy, because even if many black voters are anti-gay (i have no idea if this is true), you’d think Obama could “spin it” as a civil rights issue.  You know, say something like, “well, we African Americans struggled and continue to struggle for civil rights on the basis of skin color.  Others struggle for other reasons of identity.  The point is that in America, everyone is supposed to be treated equally, regardless of their personal identity.  Our campaign supports equal treatment under the law.”  You would think that would be easy, a slam-dunk.  Apparently, it is much more difficult than it appears.

  6. called bigot non PC and everything else that divides I have to give my two cents which Is apparently renewable. As Aramando says often enough this is nothing but distraction. First the dudes not black enough now he’s not gay enough all this is directed at us librels cause the status quo, knows damn well that we are as divided as the right on our ‘values’ and issues  dealing with social rights?.

    So as the Naderite I was teamed up with in 04 to canvas with said ‘Let’s get these fuckers out of here, undo the coup, and settle our differances later.’ How can any serious person expect that this totally divided and broken system will deal with their ‘rights’ until we remove the big nasty hanging over all of us. Any crumbs we get for social equality at this point are just that crumbs they throw to make you buy into the giant meat grinder that could give a rats ass if your straight, church going or sick they suck us up with this shit. so focus people !

    Is andgarden your sock puppet?

  7. you seem to me to be a sycophant for Armando here, and while I often rec you here and elsewhere I am also appalled at your dubious attachment to personality rather then critical thinking . My thoughts and feelings are cumulative rather then specific, so forgive my aiming my barbs of frustration at you. You are also in the same boat we all are, and at least engaged . I tend to flame those that are helping, so sorry. 

  8. the incredibly long campaign will do this. In the old days the campaigns didn’t really crank up, at least in public, until the conventions, in the summer, 3 or 4 months before Election Day. Now with 20 months of campaigning we get a million little details to pore over, where a candidate can get tripped up, in this modern world of “gotcha” politics.

    Without knowing much about this (I’ll look into it) the candidates are not 100% responsible for every one they come in contact with.

    • Slugbug on October 24, 2007 at 06:54

    interesting  .. she had alot of gays and lesbians at her event here

    • pico on October 24, 2007 at 11:15

    I think you’ll find Aravosis is about the least credible writer on gay issues at the moment.  Doesn’t change anything in your posting, but he’s damaged goods as far as the queer community is concerned.  In fact, his rage on this issue makes him look doubly bad after his ENDA performance – and I can assure you this is a widespread opinion.  Just a note, and like I said, doesn’t affect anything here.

Comments have been disabled.