Queer Town: The Holiday Education of My Dad

I flew back to New Jersey yesterday and on the drive home from Newark International Airport, my Dad and I talked about the Rick Warren controversy and Prop. 8. My Dad is a political guy, but he still didn't know everything about why people are so upset about the Prop. 8 loss and Obama's choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration.

So as we headed south on the New Jersey Turnpike, I went through the list--a popular vote for the first time in at least recent memory took away an existing right from people, the longtime intolerance of religious leaders like Warren against gays, the horrible and insensitive timing of Obama's choice that shows a certain kind of tone deafness towards gays and lesbians, the my-way-or-the-highway attitude by Obama on the Warren controversy, which is something we've been dealing with as a country for the past 8 years under George Bush. I could see that my Dad was listening closely.

A few hours later, my Dad received some kind email from Michelle Obama since he gave a decent amount of money to the campaign. He immediately wrote back, and told Michelle, or whoever will read the email, that the Warren choice was unacceptable, and gave my reasons why it is unacceptable. He then asked the Obama administration to somehow get involved in the repeal of Prop. 8.

Soon after my Dad sent the email, he walked downstairs into our living room and proudly told me what he had done--a casual conversation about Prop. 8, Warren, and Obama had just turned into a one-man write-in movement.  I thanked him, and we smiled. It was a good time to be home for the holidays.


Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.