Earlier this year, there was a firestorm in the GLBT forum. A series of threads "The Best of DU...", which GLBT members posted threads and comments on this site they found anti-gay and/or bigoted, were locked and was told no more of these threads were allowed. After protesting about this, Skinner stepped in, and in so many words, told us to shut up about it. He later apologized for the post and said he would work with us to ensure posters would be more tolerant on the site.

The time between Skinner's two posts, myself and others felt inferior. People could say anything derogatory about gays on this site and feelings and views be damned. We were the niggers, the spics, the kikes, the gooks, the fags.

And things did get better. All united to win back the White House and help stop anti-gay state initiatives, especially Proposition 8 in California. And we did win back the White House ... but lost at the state level, with Prop 8 getting the most attention. The outpouring here about Prop 8, was amazing. Post after post with people supporting gay equality, changing their avatars and signature lines to show they are with us. We are all equal!

Well, it seems we were equal. This week, it was announced that Rick Warren would give the invocation at Obama's inauguration next month. GLBT, as well as others on this site, found this as a bad and insulting choice. Warren has come out against equal rights for gays, in the pulpit, in his writings and appearances and with his support of Prop 8. People For the American Way President Kathryn Kolbert read a statement that said in part: "He has repeated the Religious Right's big lie that supporters of equality for gay Americans are out to silence pastors. He has called Christians who advance a social gospel Marxists. He is adamantly opposed to women having a legal right to choose an abortion." As members began posting against it, the reaction? How DARE you question Barack Obama's choice? Who do you think YOU are?

People start doing "K&R" posts saying they support his decision. Logging into DU and seeing those the front page makes one feel unwelcome. People posting about how this should was a shrewd political move to "boost his cred"; if this was the case, then he should have chosen a white preacher who thinks blacks are inferior. Of course, that would be silly; why would you choose someone who would offend his base?

This whole situation seems to boil down to this - one can either say Warren is a bad choice, and by extension, say Obama made a mistake, or support his decision and criticize anyone who doesn't, views be damned. It seems posters here would rather tell people to sit down and shut up than to even think Obama just may have made a bad choice.

So this is where the GLBT is. Back to second class status. Back to the back of the bus. We are the niggers. The spics. The kikes. The gooks. The fags.