Updated Friday evening
Ruth Gledhill has a report in The Times headlined Barack Obama asked gay bishop Gene Robinson what it was like to be ‘first’.
Bishop Robinson, in London as a guest of the gay rights group Stonewall for its annual “Hero of the Year” awards dinner at the Victoria and Albert Museum tonight, said that Mr Obama’s campaign team had sought him last year and he had the “honour” of three private conversations with the future president of the United States last May and June.
“The first words out of his mouth were: ‘Well you’re certainly causing a lot of trouble’, My response to him was: ‘Well that makes two of us’.”
There is a transcript of this interview, together with audio recordings, on her blog, under the heading Obama and the Gay Bishop: ‘Three Private Meetings’.
Friday evening update
The Hero of the Year Award was in fact awarded to Bishop Robinson. This award is based on the votes of Stonewall supporters, as is the annual Bigot of the Year Award, which last year was also won by an Anglican bishop.
See Stonewall press release here:
Hero of the Year chosen by Stonewall supporters – Rt Revd Gene Robinson. Openly gay Bishop of New Hampshire. Has bravely endured sustained personal attacks in recent months, as church debate on homosexuality has intensified. Recently barred from Lambeth conference.
Thanks Pres-Elect Obama, for making an effort to talk across our hot button divides. A vigorous coalition – LDS, Roman Catholics, + rightwing believers – just campaigned to approve California Prop 8. So now, separate is equal is etched for the time being, into our state constitution. This of course has broad, foundational ramifications – since if separate is truly equal – we can separate out or separate off any number of other groups with whom some majority citizens might disagree, depending on when, how, if, and so forth. The campaign ad pitch was basically a faked and forced either/or:… Read more »
Congratulations to Barclay’s Bank for its support of the LGBT community in hosting the Stonewall Awards ceremony. I have always considered Richard Wilson to be one of the outstanding comedy actors of our day. Bless him for his support of Gays. We need his delicious sense of humour. Iris Robinson, M.P., ought to be ecnouraged by her consituents to undergo some education on the subject of scientific advances in the field of same-sex orientation. She might not then continue to abuse those of her political party who are still suffering blatant misunderstanding on this, and other, justice issues. Her name-sake,… Read more »
What a delightful thread.
This is as pleasing as Obama winning presidency through and because of the groundswell of support from the masses.
The other thing about this thread is that it demonstrates that souls were learning lessons from the turmoil in the Anglican communion (e.g. Obama dialoguing with Robinson). In turn, others learn similar lessons as they contemplate what Obama’s election means. For example, this International Herald Tribune article http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/07/america/letter.php?page=1 They conclude: “Yet democracy is not simply about the sanctity of rules that protect the ruled. It is about mechanisms – checks and balances – to ensure that trust is neither taken for granted nor abused. It is about building and preserving a culture, about a compact between those who are governed… Read more »