Shepard Fairey: Obama's Warren Invite a 'Slap'; Makes Time Cover Commission 'Bittersweet'
Time's Person of the Year issue goes on sale tomorrow morning featuring President Elect Obama. Cover illustrator Shepard Fairey has just posted a statement on his site calling the moment "bittersweet because I’m very disappointed by Obama’s appointment of Rick Warren."
He continues, "Rick Warren is against gay marriage and reproductive rights, and he does not believe in evolution (maybe he offers himself as proof of lack of evolution). I understand that Obama is trying to appeal to conservatives and evangelicals, but this move is symbolically a slap in the face to many people. Warren is not a uniter, but a divider… he is intolerant in many of his views. I still think Obama is the best choice for president, but I can’t condone Warren’s involvement in Obama’s inauguration, no matter how insignificant it is."
Fairey also says he'll be donating a "chunk"of the proceeds from the Obama inauguration poster he was asked to create to the movement to overturn California's Prop 8.
Full statement at ObeyGiant
Fairey's Defend Equality poster donation.
Posted Dec. 18,2008 at 10:34 PM EST by Michael Goff in Art and Design, Barack Obama, Gay Marriage, News, Shepard Fairey | Permalink
Jonathan, I believe that Rick Warren and his family should be able to live a safe and productive life with exactly the same rights afforded to him that my family and I have. That IS respecting him as an American.
Warren not only believes that I am a second class citizen, but actively works to convince others to change Constitutions so that I will be treated as lesser than he. That is NOT respecting me and other gay people as Americans.
@Thirteen: You have a point. But as many other gay people, I get tired of giving more benefit of the doubt to everyone than anyone would normally be expected to give to anyone.
Imagine a white president invites a prominent anti-Black Segregationist white preacher to feature prominently in his inauguration (someone who says giving rights to blacks is like giving them to rapists or to wild animals, for example). Would blacks be happy if this white president also invited a white preacher who has black friends and a black marching band as a contingent in the parade?
Imagine Obama were to invite an imam who has been fighting to take away women's right to vote. Would it make up for it if he also had some other man on stage who is known to support a woman;'s right to vote, and then a women's choir singing on a float?
I don't think anyone else in society but gay people would be expected to give a pass to an invitation to a speaker who attacks their rights like Warren does ours.
Posted by: GregV | Dec 19, 2008 11:01:36 AM
"Reaching out?" To a minister who compares same sex marriage to bestiality and incest? It'll be interesting to watch the Hollywood crowd, who are paying $50,000 for a prime inaugural seats, kissing butt big time.
Posted by: Jack Scribe | Dec 19, 2008 11:23:42 AM
Richard, you need to get your facts straight:
"Now with the passing of Prop 8 in California we see 70% of the vote to disallow same sex marriage from blacks who've bought into the White Man's Religion."
Do you really think it's possible that in a state as large and diverse as California that 70% of the vote for Prop 8 came from black voters? I think what you mean to say is that 70% of the blacks who voted, voted for Prop 8. The black vote did not tip the scale on Prop 8 one way or the other. What about the Latino vote? Why don't you get mad at them? You've fallen into a trap set by the press to make the LGBT community look racist and divided.
BTW, many people are religious, (I'm not). But it's a gross generalization when you say all black people have "bought in." You claim to be a Hillary supporter, I like her too, even though she wants to bomb Iran. I doubt she'd approve your message, and if she was as easily swayed against blacks as you are, I never would have supported her for one second.
Open your mind, and keep it open, please.
Posted by: voodoolock | Dec 19, 2008 11:27:39 AM
Don't know about you 13 but I've MET the Rev. Joseph Lowery, thank you. I hosted him many yrs. ago for an anti Vietnam War event. He IS a rare, eloquent, loving, Christ-like man, and the fact that Obama's invitation to Warren ALSO signals to people that O thinks he is Lowery's equal in every way is yet another OBSCENITY. Warren isn't worthy of wiping Lowery's ass.
And Lowery's words from so long ago about warmongers have rung in my ears everytime I've heard a hatemonger, and they fit PERFECTLY for WARREN:
"Their lying tongues strut through the earth."
The artist who turned Obama's mediocre, gangly visage into an international icon of something greater than all of us "gets it" but his subject is still groping in the dark. Or rather is NOT even trying to understand. He simply took his moldy, jejune justification for inviting/not disinviting Donnie "Gays Are Trying to Kill Our Children" McClurkin to a gospel and grits show in South Carolina, crossed out Donnie's name and wrote in Warren's to attempt to disguise the neo-Nazi elephant in the middle of the biggest room a billion+ people will be peering into January 20th as someone no more morally repugnant than a bad case of halitosis.
Barack Obama is not about Change; he is about defending the status quo that we are not living and DYING people but "issues" that it's peachy keen to disagree about. We interupt this os so polite debate to bring you the funeral of the next Matthew Shepard, Lawrence King, or Gwen Araujo.
Repeat: Obama would never have invited any preacher, no matter how big his following, who had equated blacks, Jews, Asians, Latinos, fill-in-the blank EXCEPT FOR GAYS with child molestors and had been one of the gang leaders in an election to take away blacks', et al.'s, civil rights.
And those springing to Obama's defense with the idea that it's not really that serious, blah blah blah are like a wife beater saying to his bleeding, broken spouse, "What the fuck are you whining about. I didn't kill you did I?"
GET OFF YOUR STOMACHS! STOP BENDING OVER AND STAND UP GAY! BOYCOTT THE INAUGURATION. DEMAND A REFUND OF ANY DONATIONS YOU MADE TO HIS CAMPAIGN.
Barack Obama has fallen victim to the worst disease any potential leader can: BELIEVING his own hype. He is not a part of the solution. He is a part of the problem.
Posted by: Leland Frances | Dec 19, 2008 11:35:28 AM
THIRTEEN: I agree with you 100%. I think that the white majority in the gay community (which mirrors the proportional percentage in the nation) dominates the discussion about gay issues, especially when it comes to civil rights. Too much of the debate seems focused on internal racial bickering to scapegoat groups for the passage of Prop 8. That argument definitely needs to be buried.
That said, Obama's attempt to include a segment of the population that is violently opposed to gay civil rights in the inauguration celebration with his invite of Rick Warren seems like a step backward. Having another preacher of the opposite mindset close the ceremony doesn't fix this - it just highlights the wide divide.
I don't know what the solution is for the internal racism thwarting the gay civil rights movement, but I do know what it is not. We should not ever roll over in the face of insult. We should not allow the perpetuation of stereotypes in mainstream media to continue without objection. We should not stand by idly when our elected officials (no matter their color) pander to a hateful segment of the population.
Posted by: Michael | Dec 19, 2008 11:37:23 AM
This is was not a mistake; this is exactly what they wanted. Obama and his team are smart people. They knew that by picking Warren, the gay community would be all up in arms over it. They knew it was get press and the whole nation would be aware of this issue. By not removing Warren he is showing America that he does not curtail his beliefs to special interests. We were a disposable group.
Posted by: Matt | Dec 19, 2008 12:14:27 PM
Matt,
Exactly.
The brainwashed minions who still insist this is all a clever plan by Barack Obama to further gay rights are completely delusional. This is a clever plan by Barack Obama to further Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.
It is brilliant poltically. Nobody denies that. But to assert that it is some wonderful scheme by the Dear Leader to win over Rick Warren on same-sex unions...is simply absurd beyond words. It is cynical and self-serving move by a savvy politician who's quite comfortable with having a forked tongue.
Posted by: John in CA | Dec 19, 2008 12:53:03 PM
Matt has it right. This is Obama's prelude toward "look, I tried to be reasonable with those people." He keeps his cool and we get furious, and then he can dispassionately wash his hands of us and all the promises he made.
Posted by: Yeek | Dec 19, 2008 1:02:39 PM
"It is cynical and self-serving move by a savvy politician who's quite comfortable with having a forked tongue."
Sounds like something first said by some fervent abolitionist Republican about Abe Lincoln before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation?
"You've thrown us under the bus, Abe!"
"What's a bus", said Honest "down low" Abe.
There will be other issues coming up over the next 4 years. I'll judge Barack Obama on those, and his federal judicial appointments.
The symbolism of Rick Warren giving the invocation his inauguration may hurt President Obama with some gays, but not all of us are ready to jump ship yet.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Dec 19, 2008 1:09:44 PM
Thank you, Richard: so well said! (Dec 19, 2008 9:42:03 AM)!
We need to embrace all equally and live by this example if we are to have all the rights that we deserve. Making a major issue of this does nothing but foster further divisiveness -- a well worn tactic of the very people that are leaving office! Fundamentally, I'm not totally comfortable with Warren's choice but I feel taking the high road furthers our cause in ways yet to be seen. Thanks again.
Posted by: mwk12kev | Dec 19, 2008 1:11:51 PM
Sorry, meant to cite Jonathan above, not Richard.
Posted by: mwk12kev | Dec 19, 2008 1:13:07 PM
Derrick,
If this were 1860, I would have no problem with being labelled a "fervent abolitionist."
Posted by: John in CA | Dec 19, 2008 1:16:57 PM
I meant in President Lincoln's LACK of signing an Emancipation Proclamation early enough for Radical Republicans--those he threw under the bus.
Barack is something like Ol' Abe Lincoln--trying to make friends once he becomes president....keeping an eye on his enemies: right-wing nut enemies and now some gay enemies. He aint stupid though--don't try to out smart him, angry "children".
And we blacks had to wait another 110 years for any real freedom after Abe signed the proclamation...get my drift?
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Dec 19, 2008 1:17:37 PM
The good news: the homo agenda meshes well with the liberal agenda. We will make progress. The bad news: we're disposable, and a small enough minority that it doesn't matter when tossed aside (and despite my affection for Hillary, may I remind you of DADT in the early Clinton years?).
Posted by: GaryCarlton | Dec 19, 2008 1:29:29 PM
Warren possible anti-semite
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/rick_warren_syria_gets_a_bad_r.php
Praises the Syrian gov as moderate and kind to Jews while in fact Syrian Jews are forbidden from gov jobs, forced to wear identifiers, attacked, etc
If we can get the Jews with us against Warren then Obama will have no choice but to nix him from the inauguration
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Dec 19, 2008 1:30:40 PM
Part of the problem, not necessarily with the entire situation, but with the conversations on these boards, is how many conversations are flying past each other.
I, too, am pissed and hurt. I don't, however, think that this is that absolute greatest outrage ever. Yes, Warren is an hateful bigot who shouldn't be anywhere near the dais. He isn't simply an opponent, but an enemy of LGBT people. And President-Elect Obama fucked up. He's shown himself, on several occasions to be pretty tone deaf when it comes to LGBT folks and our rights. Anyone surprised? He's never been the lefty people made him out to be; he's always been a center-lefty, with an emphasis on center. And he's always been better than our opponents/enemies on the right, like McCain/Palin. And, as Rachel Maddow pointed out last night, he's drawing a false equivalency when compares Warren inviting him to the Saddleback Shithole and his own invitation of Warren to a national inauguration. Then again, all sorts of people are drawing false equivalencies, including a hell of a lot of our "friends." They're making it seem as though Warren's support of Prop 8, instead of him being anti-gay and anti-woman more generally, are the issues.
Well, on the heels of Prop 8, inviting a bigot like this feels particularly like a kick in the teeth, and in that way, PE Obama, like most of the Democratic Party, and a lot of "progressives" retain their own tone-deafness with regard to our lives.
There's something we should consider, though, is a tale from FDR's presidency. When he asked A. Philip Randolph about what he could do to improve the nation, and after hearing Randolph's response, he said something to the effect of "That sounds like a good idea. Now go and make me do it."
President-Elect Obama is not going to simply push for LGBT equality. He is going to have to be PUSHED to work for LGBT equality. Just as a President Clinton would have.
Posted by: MAJeff | Dec 19, 2008 1:34:59 PM
Well, well, well. What have we here. Ehrenstein hating on Nobama. Wonders shall never cease. Who predicted this? Me. And I'm always right. And another prediction for you all. ITs just beginning.
Posted by: Vi Agara | Dec 19, 2008 2:01:02 PM
This entire fight for gay marriage has been wrong. The gay rights movement has become the gay marriage movement. We don't even have universal worker protection yet. Keep pushing this (most divisive) issue, gays, and we'll get nowhere. We skipped A LOT of steps.
Posted by: Jason | Dec 19, 2008 4:36:57 PM
While I was the last person who wanted Hillary in the oval office, I would have to admit that she would not have done this. (She might have invited Mark Rich to the party, but not Warren.)
I'm beginning to see the baneful influence that the Big O (as in Oprah) is having here. She is basically responsible for elevating Warren because of his stupid little book (Purpose Driven Life), and she has no doubt been part of the marketing of Little O (as in Obama), they symbolism they are using here, and possibly the selection of other advisers.
Posted by: anon | Dec 19, 2008 4:37:02 PM
And now, direct from Jasmyne Cannick's asshole -- "Vi Agara"
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Dec 19, 2008 4:45:01 PM
Anon, you cannot seriously think all this is because of Oprah?
*chuckles*
Posted by: Nick | Dec 19, 2008 4:55:33 PM
Mr. President-elect:
First we lost Prop 8, then you bypass Mary Beth Maxwell for Labor Secretary, and now you've "Rick-Rolled" us with this Warren crap!
C'mon!
Throw us a bone, Dude!
Wait a sec.
That didn't sound quite right.
Posted by: Wayne | Dec 19, 2008 4:55:35 PM
I got tired of beating my head against the wall when everyone here worshiped at Obama's feet so I gave in and have started praying to him also. Now, I'll join the right-wingers and condemn my own relationship and accept that I'm no better than a pedophile and oh yea, abortion is evil and those who participate are going to hell. I'm planning to stone neighbors soon. I'm trying as hard as I can to fit in with this enlightenment you all promised. I'm so ashamed of myself now. But at least I can stop wondering what took over your minds all last year.
Posted by: glennmcgahee | Dec 19, 2008 5:25:35 PM
Jeez, its David Ehrenstein, the one trick pony.
All that comes from his mouth is a noun, a verb, and anything against black people and Obama.
This is what defines Ehrenstein entirely.
Posted by: Please | Dec 19, 2008 5:28:26 PM
Brother Derrick, the manifesto of that ship you're not ready to jump yet reads, "Cargo: millions of gay slaves to a man who doesn't take them seriously."
Fool me once [McClurkingate]: shame on you. Fool me twice [Warrengate]: shame on me.
And "shame" is exactly what describes Obama's trivializing us once again while symbolically elevating a parochial piss ant to the level of a civil rights leader like Lowery.
BOYCOTT THE INAUGURAL! DEMAND YOUR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS BACK [ya won't see a dime but you can imagine the Dems squirming about how much milk gay cash cows will be willing to give in 2010 and 2012].
Posted by: Leland Frances | Dec 19, 2008 5:31:13 PM