Mike Signorile takes Etheridge to task for not doing her homework

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:17pm

Melissa goes on Mike Signorile to talk about Rick Warren's 'outreach' (+)
by: Pam Spaulding
Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 13:00:00 PM EST

[subscribe]
Surf over to Mike's pad to hear the audio of Melissa Etheridge on his show discussing her new BFF Rick Warren, and celebrities and politics. From the transcript:

MS: It sounds like you really didn't get a lot of information about this...and find out what his views really were...Did you connect with the Human Rights Campaign [a group she with which she has worked] and other gay groups before making your decision?

ME: No, I looked it up on the Internet. I tried to find what people were saying. I watched the beliefnet article, where he was asked about, "So gay marriage, is that like pedophilia and incest and stuff?" And I got to ask him, "So what's that all about?" And he gave me his response. Now, again, I'm just going to take him on what he says --

MS: But can we take people on what they say when they're working against us? Shouldn't't we go by what their record is? We have seen that this man has empowered the very forces in Africa that have allowed people to become infected with HIV. He pushed abstinence-only programs, he helped to demonize gay people. There are gay people locked up in jail ...because of Rick Warren...So shouldn't we go by his record?...

ME: ...Yes, absolutely we should. We should hold people accountable. Now, does that mean they are exiled from what we are trying to accomplish here, which is a united America? Or do we say, we see you now? You can't be part of this party and hide that. I really want people to know that I'm not defending him.

Mike definitely holds her feet to the fire on this one. Go read the rest. I still don't think she gets the problem people had with the Warren matter. She didn't do her homework, and with her high profile, lobbed an uninformed opinion out there that Warren is actually reaching out to the community rather than her specifically to blunt the criticism he was receiving.
Transcript here

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:36pm

Oh brother. I can't believe that Melissa Etheridge dared to express her own opinion to anyone without clearing it with "Pam" and Michelangelo Signorile first. It's hard to choose which peanuts of wisdom to pick out that Pam's pooh first, but I'd have to say I REALLY like the part where anonymous blogger #57 says "What qualifies her to be a spokesperson for gays other than the fact she's famous? I think the gay community needs a better caliber of people representing our interests." Boy Howdy, you said a mouthful.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:43pm

Is Pam not her real name?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:43pm

Are you not getting that it's not the fact that she has an opinion that many people have a problem with?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:46pm

I still can't figure out what she likes about Rick Warren.

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:50pm

No, I just like how Pam, Mike et al seem to think she can't have an opinion unless it's in lock step with theirs. If she's "Done her homework" she couldn't POSSIBLY Hold an opinion contrary to my, correct opinion.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:51pm

it will be a better society when people understand that expressing opinions that are not approved by the arbiters is simply not allowed. once there is a website where you can go to learn what the approved opinion is, people won't have to worry about ugly incidents like this.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:52pm

Oh there is one--THIS one.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:54pm

Did you listen to the interview, Joe? He criticizes her at points, but I thought it was mostly fair.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:55pm

that is an incredibly uninformed and hurtful opinion, jerby. why can the bww community not have better informed spokespeople???

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:56pm

How dare you speak your truth to power!

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:57pm

we did, but Brandon died.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 1:58pm

Actually, I think Michelangelo had an excellent dialogue with her. He's been making a specialty out of drawing out people he disagrees with.

What's YOUR opinion on Rick Warren, Joe?

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:16pm

I think he's a moron, but being that he's a minister, that can hardly be surprising.

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:26pm

I read the transcript. I've never heard Melissa Etheridge say she speaks for all lesbians or gay people, or guitar players, or single moms. Elton John didn't ask me if it was OK to stand up for Eminem. I don't know why Melissa should have to ask anyone if it's OK to say Rick Warren is OK.

I just wish you all knew all the facts here, then you would absolutely agree I was right.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:32pm

This is a message for my brothers and sisters who have fought so long and so hard for gay rights and liberty. We have spent a long time climbing up this mountain, looking at the impossible, changing a thousand year-old paradigm. We have asked for the right to love the human of our choice, and to be protected equally under the laws of this great country. The road at times has been so bloody, and so horrible, and so disheartening. From being blamed for 9/11 and Katrina, to hateful crimes committed against us, we are battle weary. We watched as our nation took a step in the right direction, against all odds and elected Barack Obama as our next leader. Then we were jerked back into the last century as we watched our rights taken away by prop 8 in California. Still sore and angry we felt another slap in the face as the man we helped get elected seemingly invited a gay-hater to address the world at his inauguration.

I hadn't heard of Pastor Rick Warren before all of this. When I heard the news, in its neat little sound bite form that we are so accustomed to, it painted the picture for me. This Pastor Rick must surely be one hate spouting, money grabbing, bad hair televangelist like all the others. He probably has his own gay little secret bathroom stall somewhere, you know. One more hater working up his congregation to hate the gays, comparing us to pedophiles and those who commit incest, blah blah blah. Same 'ole thing. Would I be boycotting the inauguration? Would we be marching again?

Well, I have to tell you my friends, the universe has a sense of humor and indeed works in mysterious ways. As I was winding down the promotion for my Christmas album I had one more stop last night. I'd agreed to play a song I'd written with my friend Salman Ahmed, a Sufi Muslim from Pakistan. The song is called "Ring The Bells," and it's a call for peace and unity in our world. We were going to perform our song for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, a group of Muslim Americans that tries to raise awareness in this country, and the world, about the majority of good, loving, Muslims. I was honored, considering some in the Muslim religion consider singing to be against God, while other Muslim countries have harsh penalties, even death for homosexuals. I felt it was a very brave gesture for them to make. I received a call the day before to inform me of the keynote speaker that night... Pastor Rick Warren. I was stunned. My fight or flight instinct took over, should I cancel? Then a calm voice inside me said, "Are you really about peace or not?"

I told my manager to reach out to Pastor Warren and say "In the spirit of unity I would like to talk to him." They gave him my phone number. On the day of the conference I received a call from Pastor Rick, and before I could say anything, he told me what a fan he was. He had most of my albums from the very first one. What? This didn't sound like a gay hater, much less a preacher. He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn't want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays. He invited me to his church, I invited him to my home to meet my wife and kids. He told me of his wife's struggle with breast cancer just a year before mine.

When we met later that night, he entered the room with open arms and an open heart. We agreed to build bridges to the future.

Brothers and sisters the choice is ours now. We have the world's attention. We have the capability to create change, awesome change in this world, but before we change minds we must change hearts. Sure, there are plenty of hateful people who will always hold on to their bigotry like a child to a blanket. But there are also good people out there, Christian and otherwise that are beginning to listen. They don't hate us, they fear change. Maybe in our anger, as we consider marches and boycotts, perhaps we can consider stretching out our hands. Maybe instead of marching on his church, we can show up en mass and volunteer for one of the many organizations affiliated with his church that work for HIV/AIDS causes all around the world.

Maybe if they get to know us, they wont fear us.

I know, call me a dreamer, but I feel a new era is upon us.

I will be attending the inauguration with my family, and with hope in my heart. I know we are headed in the direction of marriage equality and equal protection for all families.

Happy Holidays my friends and a Happy New Year to you.

Peace on earth, goodwill toward all men and women... and everyone in-between

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:35pm

Wow what an uplifting message, Phyl! Thanks for sharing!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:37pm

She may not be claiming to speak for everyone, but she clearly lives in her own world and doesn't have to deal with many of the hassles that her less famous and less wealthy "brothers and sisters" do.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:38pm

"The nail on the head is that Etheridge's comments reek of privilege. That doesn't make her a horrible person or that she cannot "reach out" to Warren personally. The problem is that she is a public figure, a famous out gay person places her, unfortunately, in the position of being perceived as speaking for our community. She was up there at the LOGO debate sitting in a chair that could have been filled by a gay journalist who knew the issues deeply. Caring about the issues without knowing who you're dealing with is a dangerous combination.

What's sad is that she's not really that naive -- she's well aware of the power of celebrity. She may have had good intentions in doing what she did with Warren but neglected to do her homework to realize that this dude was not the evangelical to cozy up to.

She was used, and deluded herself that because she and Tammy were personally treated right by the megapastor, that he gives a damn about the rest of us out here who have no rights. She was in WAY over her head."

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/viewRating.do?rateCommentId=109412

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:41pm

Really, if you two just knew more about this issue you'd agree with me. Trust me. Only a person who doesn't have all the information would disagree.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:51pm

Are you just being contrary?

Or do you really believe that Signorile and Spaulding are out of line in calling Etheridge on what they believe to be her hasty judgments?

They both have jobs that involve stating their opinions in public--he is employed by Sirius Radio and she has a well-trafficked blog--and they routinely comment on public events.

How are they out of line in analyzing Etheridge's decision-making process and critiquing it? Isn't that well within the boundaries of what people in their positions are supposed to do?

Do you seriously feel they are abusing their bully pulpits? Or are you just having fun playing the devil's advocate?

I'm curious.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 3:55pm

what a bitch. i think she should be killed for this.

Posted: 1/29/09 at 4:10pm

Anyone can state their opinion in public. I'm not the one saying they can't:

Signorelle says "because you are such a powerful figure just by virtue of who you are, they felt undermined from their message, and felt you threw them under the bus."

Pam said "I still don't think she gets the problem people had with the Warren matter. She didn't do her homework, and with her high profile, lobbed an uninformed opinion out there." She also posts something called "Out in Hollywood" saying "What qualifies her to be a spokesperson for gays other than the fact she's famous? I think the gay community needs a better caliber of people representing our interests." She also adds her giddy "WELL SAID!" to a poster who charmingly says "Melissa needs to stick to her day job and STFU about gay issues."

Frankly I don't care what Melissa Etheridge thinks about Rick Warren. But she has just as much right to think it as anyone else does.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 4:13pm

Joe, your point might resonate better if Melissa hadn't said she hadn't done her homework.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/29/09 at 4:14pm

Or if she hadn't called upon her "brothers and sisters" to embrace Rick Warren.